Irish Spina Bifida Patients Have A Very Low Prevalence of Latex Allergy and Latex Sensitisation

RATIONALE: Children with spina bifida are considered high risk for latex allergy and many health services have successfully initiated primary prophylaxis of latex free health care. Our institution did not start primary prophylaxis until 2007, so we have examined latex sensitisation rates and component resolved latex allergen sensitization in children and adults attending our spina bifida in 2009-10. METHODS: Prospective clinic-based recruitment of 48 patients (3 months-23years of age), who had skin prick testing with commercially available latex solution (ALK-Abello), prick-prick testing with surgical gloves, and allergen specific IgE measurement (Phadia). RESULTS: Only 2/48 (4%) patients reported clinical symptoms on latex exposure, and only 1 of this pair had positive SPT and positive but low, latex specific IgE, predominantly to rHev b 5. 36 subjects (75%) had low level sensitisation to r Hev b 14, hevamine, which is not a major allergen. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the local population demonstrating broadly recognisable rates of other atopic conditions, Irish spina bifida patients, born before and after institution of primary latex avoidance, have one of the lowest recorded rates of clinical latex allergy or even of in vitro sensitization to the internationally recognised major latex allergens.