OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between latex allergen and clinical presentation as well as allergenic cross-reactivity between latex and other allergens, to know the incidence of latex allergy in Chinese children and elucidate the allergenic cross-reactivity of latex with other allergens.

METHODSTotally 265 children with allergic disorders were assayed with 13 international standard allergen agents by means of SPT.

RESULTSIn 79 children with latex allergenic SPT position, 53 were boys and 26 were girls with an average age of 5.6 years, and 14 cases had episodes occurred in winter, 14 cases in spring, 24 cases in summer, and 27 cases in autumn. Of them, 66 cases presented as asthma, 5 cases atopic skin disorders, 1 case anaphylactoid purpura, 1 case hives and 6 cases only had mild cough. Statistical analysis showed that the positive percentage of the latex SPT had no obvious relation with sex and age, but was higher in summers and autumns than in winters and springs (P < 0.01). Children with allergic symptoms had higher positive rate in latex allergenic SPT than those without them, that is, the positive percentage of the latex SPT significantly increased among children presenting with some allergic symptoms, such as asthma, hives and atopic skin disorders (P < 0.01). All the children with latex allergenic SPT position had cross-reactivity with acarid allergen, 62.0% approximately 43.0% with animal protein allergens including milk, cats, shrimp, dogs, eggs in the order of decreasing cross-reaction rate, and 10.1% - 3.8% with mold and plant farina allergens. But the cross-reactivity between latex and mold or tree farina I were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONThirty percent of the children with allergic disorders were latex allergenic SPT positive. Latex allergenic SPT positive results were significantly correlative to allergic clinical presentation and season, while were not relative to sex and age. The cross-reactivity of latex with acarid was most common, followed by animal protein allergens, while the cross-reactivity with mold and plant farina allergen was rare.