Background

Food allergies are reported after transplantation of solid organs in children. We have recently reported an increase in the prevalence of esophageal eosinophilic disease in patients with intestine transplant. Here we examine food allergy in children who have undergone liver transplants and compared them to those who have undergone bowel transplant to ascertain whether either organ has a greater impact on development of food allergy.

Method

We reviewed the information from the database of the transplant institute of the MedStar Georgetown University Hospital which contains prospectively recorded data. Additional data were obtained from the patient records of the hospital. We compared prevalence of food allergy in pediatric patients who had undergone intestinal transplant versus those that undergone a liver transplant versus those that had a combined liver and intestine transplant. MINITAB software, (Minitab Inc. State College, PA) was used to analyze data using standard methodology.

Results

During the approximate period 2003 to 2014, pediatric transplants at our center included, 142 isolated liver transplants, 38 isolated intestinal transplants and 59 combined liver and intestinal transplants (data was not grouped by additional organs that may have been included). The respective mean ages, 4.8+5.5, 5.4+4.6, and 2.0+2.2, were different (p<0.05). Though the proportion of females in each group was also different, 58%, 32% and 44%, the differences were not statistically significant. The proportion of patients with food allergies was, 14(9.9%), 5(13.2%) and 8(13.6%), in the respective groups, with the greatest increase in transplants containing an intestinal graft. There was however no statistical difference in the proportions patient s with food allergies between the respective groups (p>0.05).

Conclusion

Food allergies are increased amongst patients undergoing liver or intestinal transplant. Patients who have undergone a combined liver intestine transplant appear to have similar prevalence to the isolated intestine patients suggesting that it is not only immunosuppression that determines the increased prevalence of food allergy after solid organ transplantation but that the liver and intestine confer a separate risk for food allergy.

CITATION INFORMATION: Khan K, Desai C, Kaufman S, Kroemer A, Hawksworth J, Girlanda R, Fishbein T, Matsumoto C. Differences in the Prevalence of Food Allergies After Liver and or Bowel Transplantation. Am J Transplant. 2016;16 (suppl 3).

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