The Relationship between Gastroesophageal Reflux and Food Sensitization in infants and young children with asthma

초록

Purpose : Gastroesophageal reflux(GER) is frequently associated with asthma. The association of GER and cow milk allergy has been reported in some infants. We preformed this study to know whether GER causes early food sensitization and can be a clue to discriminate phenotypes of asthma in infants and young children. Patients and Methods :We evaluated 24 hour esophageal pH monitoring among children under the age of 3 who had wheezing more than three times. We measured total serum Ig E and specific Ig E for cow milk and egg white in subjects. Results : The prevalence of GER in infants and young children less than 3 years with asthma was 42 percent. Total serum log IgE was 1.33 ± 0.55 IU/mL in GER group and 1.33 ± 0.56 IU/mL in non-GER group. There was no statistical difference in those two groups(P=0.71). Among all children, the frequency of sensitization to cow milk or egg white was 17 percent. The prevalence of food sensitization was 11.9% and 20.7% in GER group and non-GER group, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference of food sensitization between two groups(P=0.248). Conclusion : There was no relation between food sensitization and GER in infants and young children with asthma. These results suggest that in infants and young children with asthma, GER does not contribute to food sensitization.