Prick-prick with fresh foods in patients with latex allergy

The quick spread of AIDS and other contagious infectious diseases has resulted in what was first voluntary, and subsequently recommended and compulsory, use of protection from contact with blood or bodily fluids.

This protection has been especially widespread in the healthcare field. In the in vivo diagnosis of food allergy, it has been proven that the skin prick-prick test is sometimes more sensitive than skin prick test with commercial extracts.

The aim of our study was to prove that handling fresh foods prepared for the prick-prick test with latex gloves can tamper with the results in patients with latex allergy. Statistically significant differences were found (p <0.001) between patients and controls in the prick-prick tests against the different foods after handling with latex gloves. No significant differences were found in controls for each prick-prick test for food with or without manipulation with latex gloves.

Significant differences were found in the group of patients when performing prick-prick with the different foods before and after manipulation with latex gloves. We also observed that there were significant differences in prick-prick test between patients with latex sensitization and nonsensitized controls, and that the results of prick-prick test varied for each patient depending on whether or not foods had been handled with latex gloves.

CITA DEL ARTÍCULO J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 2000 Sep-Oct;10(5):280-2