Clinical Presentation of Alpha-Gal Syndrome in Pediatric Gastroenterology and Response to Mammalian Dietary Elimination.
Busing JD, Stone CA, Nicholson MR
The American journal of gastroenterology •
Alpha-gal syndrome is an immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated delayed hypersensitivity reaction to nonprimate mammalian products, which has a newly established gastrointestinal (GI) phenotype in adults. We assessed the GI presentation and treatment response in children. This is a retrospective study of patients presenting in a pediatric gastroenterology clinic tested for alpha-gal IgE. Forty of 199 patients (20%) tested had a positive alpha-gal-specific IgE, with 77.5% reporting GI symptoms in isolation. Of the 30 that attempted dietary elimination, 8 (27%) experienced full resolution of symptoms. Alpha-gal syndrome can present with isolated GI symptoms in children.