Black children and those of African ancestry are more prone to food sensitization to multiple food products, with children of African ancestry more likely to develop sensitization to peanuts, according to a study published online Sept. 2 in Pediatrics.
Dr. Rajesh Kumar from the Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, and colleagues investigated whether the risk of food-allergen sensitization varied according to self-identified race or genetic ancestry of 1,104 children (average age, 2.7 years).
Specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) levels of 0.35 or more kilo-units of allergen (kUA)/L for any of the eight common food allergens was defined as food sensitization. The correlations of self-identified race and genetic ancestry with food sensitization were assessed. In addition, associations were assessed with the number of food sensitizations (zero, one or two, and at least three foods) and with logarithmically transformed allergen sIgE levels.
The investigators found that 35.5 percent of individuals had food sensitizations. Food sensitization was correlated with self-reported Black race and African ancestry and both were also associated with a high number (at least three) of food sensitizations.
African ancestry was correlated with elevated odds of peanut sIgE levels of five or more kUA/L and egg sIgE levels of two or more kUA/L.
Similar, but nonsignificant, associations were found with milk sIgE levels of five or more kUA/L.
“We found that Black race and African ancestry were associated with increased risk of food sensitization, particularly to peanuts,” the authors write.
