Sesame Sensitization in Children with Allergic Symptoms: Prevalence and Associated Allergic Conditions

Objective:The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of sesame sensitization in pediatric patients with allergic manifestations and to investigate its association with other allergic diseases. Materials and Methods:This study was conducted between November 2020 and August 2021 at Gaziantep University Training and Research Hospital, Pediatric Immunology and Allergy Clinic, including 808 pediatric patients who were either followed up or admitted with diagnoses such as atopic dermatitis, urticaria, asthma, allergic rhinitis, recurrent wheezing, and other allergic conditions.All patients underwent a skin prick test (SPT).Complete blood count, sesame-specific and total IgE levels were measured in patients with a positive sesame SPT.An oral food challenge was performed in patients with a positive sesame SPT. Results:The mean age of the patients was 5.715.18years, with the youngest being 1 month old and the oldest 18 years old.A total of 386 patients (47.8%) had sensitivity to at least one allergen in the skin prick test, while 24 (3.0%) patients showed sesame sensitization.Only 3 patients (0.4%) had sesame-specific IgE levels 0.35 kU/L.In patients with a positive sesame SPT, itching was significantly more common (p=0.029),allergic disease prevalence was higher (p=0.020),younger age was associated with a higher likelihood of sesame sensitization (p=0.009), and eosinophil counts were elevated (p=0.009).Among the 24 patients with a positive sesame SPT, 7 (0.86%) had a positive oral food challenge test, thereby confirming sesame allergy. Conclusion:To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate sesame sensitization prevalence in allergic pediatric patients in Turkey.Our study revealed a notable prevalence of sesame allergy among children with allergic conditions.These findings suggested that sesame allergy often begins at an early age and showed a significant association with symptoms like itching.Physicians should be vigilant about sesame sensitization in pediatric patients with allergic complaints and consider appropriate diagnostic testing.