Internal medicine journal
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IgE-mediated allergy to the wheat protein omega-5-gliadin (O5G) is associated with wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (WDEIA), where exercise acts as a cofactor, triggering anaphylaxis after wheat ingestion. The wider application of O5G-specific IgE (sIgE) testing has revealed that the manifestations of O5G allergy extend beyond WDEIA. ⋯ WDEIA is the most common manifestation of O5G allergy, but patients may present with a variety of allergic manifestations, and wheat allergy is not always obvious on history. Non-exercise cofactors or a lack of cofactors were identified in many patients. A distinctive feature of this allergy is that despite regular wheat ingestion, allergic reactions to wheat occur infrequently. Testing for sIgE to O5G should be considered in patients presenting with exercise-induced urticaria/anaphylaxis, idiopathic anaphylaxis and recurrent acute (but not chronic) urticaria.
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Internal medicine journal · Jun 2016
Influence of food and lifestyle on the risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease.
The Barwon area in Australia has one of the highest incidence rates of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and therefore is an ideal location to study the impact of environmental exposures on the disease's development. ⋯ This first Australian population-based study of environmental risk factors confirms that smoking, childhood immunological events and dietary factors play a role in IBD development; while high caffeine intake and pet ownership offer a protective effect.