TABLE I.
Demographic, clinical, and immunologic characteristics of children and adults reporting reactions to red meat
| Characteristics | Total (n = 261) | Children (n = 35) | Adults (n = 226) | P value (comparison of children versus adults) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age at enrollment, y, median (range) | 49 (5-82) | 13 (5-18) | 51 (19-82) | – |
| Sex, male (%) | 120 (46%) | 26 (74%) | 94 (42%) | <.001* |
| Race | ||||
| Caucasian | 247 (95%) | 30 (86%) | 217 (96%) | .03* |
| African American | 5 (2%) | 1 (3%) | 4 (2%) | .52* |
| Other | 9 (3%) | 4 (11%) | 5 (2%) | .02* |
| Symptom | ||||
| Hives | 242 (93%) | 31 (89%) | 211 (93%) | .30* |
| Anaphylaxis | 157 (60%) | 17 (49%) | 140 (62%) | .14* |
| GI | 167 (64%) | 23 (66%) | 144 (64%) | .85* |
| Only GI | 9 (3%) | 0 (0%) | 9 (4%) | .61* |
| Timing | ||||
| 0 to <1 h | 27 (10%) | 3 (9%) | 24 (11%) | >.99* |
| 1 to <2 h | 14 (5%) | 1 (3%) | 13 (6%) | .70* |
| ≥2 h | 211 (81%) | 31 (89%) | 180 (80%) | .26* |
| Not specified | 9 (3%) | 0 (0%) | 9 (4%) | .61* |
| History of asthma, n (%) | 43 (16%) | 10 (29%) | 33 (15%) | .05* |
| Urgent or emergency care | 166 (64%) | 18 (51%) | 148 (66%) | .13* |
| Tick or chigger bite in last 10 y | 255 (98%) | 35 (100%) | 220 (97%) | >.99* |
| Total IgE (IU/mL), GM (95% CI) | 144 (125-166) | 170 (120-239) | 141 (121-164) | .42† |
| α-Gal | ||||
| sIgE, n > 0.35 IU/mL (%) | 245 (94%) | 34 (97%) | 211 (93%) | .70* |
| sIgE (IU/mL), GM (95% CI) | 17.7 (15-21) | 8.2 (5-13) | 20.1 (16-25) | .009† |
| sIgE as % of total, GM (95% CI) | 11.9 (10-14) | 5.3 (4-8) | 13.5 (12-16) | <.001† |
| sIgG (U/mL), GM (95% CI) | 157 (129-191) | 79 (37-169) | 174 (143-211) | .05† |
α-Gal, Galactose-α-1,3-galactose; CI, confidence interval; GI, gastrointestinal; GM, geometric mean.
*
Fisher’s exact test.
†
Mann-Whitney U test.