Introduction
Pollen-food allergy syndrome (PFAS), also known as oral allergy syndrome (OAS), is a hypersensitivity reaction to specific foods caused by prior sensitization to inhalant pollen allergens. PFAS is triggered by certain fresh (uncooked) fruits and vegetables that cross-react with pollen.1 Global warming has increased the levels of carbon dioxide, nitric oxide, and ozone, which has subsequently caused an increase in the abundance of and sensitization to pollen. The prevalence of asthma, rhinitis, and PFAS is also increasing globally, including in Korea. 2-6
The prevalence of PFAS in patients with pollinosis is approximately 8–63.3% in adults and 5–12.4% in children.1,7,8 A single-center study noted a prevalence of 12.4% in Korean children with pollinosis, while multicenter studies noted a prevalence of 42.7% in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR), allergic conjunctivitis (AC), or asthma.9-11 Studies on the prevalence of PFAS typically investigated populations with AR or inhalant allergens sensitization, which may have caused an overestimation of prevalence.12 However, studies on the prevalence of PFAS in the general population are lacking, and there have only been two cross-sectional cohort studies in Danish adults and Japanese adolescents.13,14
AR patients with PFAS had a higher prevalence of additional allergic comorbidities, especially anaphylaxis, urticaria, asthma, and atopic dermatitis (AD) compared with those without.15Additionally, atopic adults with PFAS had a higher prevalence of rhinoconjunctivitis, asthma, and chronic urticaria than atopic adults without PFAS.16 Although these studies investigated comorbidities in high-risk patients, few have assessed the general population or analyzed the relationship between PFAS and allergic diseases longitudinally.13,14
Therefore, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of PFAS in the general population aged 6–10 years. We assessed clinical characteristics including pollen sensitization, trigger foods, and risk factors for PFAS by analyzing sensitization and comorbidities in early childhood from a general population-based birth cohort study.