ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Allergy
Sec. Food Allergy
Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/falgy.2025.1658895
This article is part of the Research TopicPrediction of Severity of Food AllergyView all 4 articles
Mugwort Sensitization and Asthma as Predictors of Food-Induced Anaphylactic Shock in Children: A Retrospective Study in Northern China
Provisionally accepted
- Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
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Introduction: Food-induced anaphylactic shock is the most severe and life-threatening manifestation of food allergy in children. However, its underlying risk factors remain poorly defined, especially in pediatric populations. This study aimed to identify independent predictors of food-induced anaphylactic shock by analyzing clinical and immunological data from a tertiary hospital in Northern China. Methods: This retrospective study included 68 children (aged 0-16 years) hospitalized for food-induced anaphylaxis at Peking University Third Hospital from May 2018 to May 2025. Demographic data, clinical manifestations, serum-specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) levels, and comorbidities were collected. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of anaphylactic shock. Results: Of 68 patients with food-induced anaphylaxis, 14 (20.6%) experienced anaphylactic shock, with 78.6% of these cases occurring in children older than six years. Wheat and fruits were the most common triggers in the shock group (each 28.6%). Subgroup analysis revealed that 88.9% (8/9) of plant-food-triggered shock cases specifically clustered from April to October, aligning with mugwort pollen season. sIgE levels to inhalant allergens, especially mugwort, were significantly higher in the shock group (P < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, comorbid asthma (OR = 9.91, 95% CI: 1.27-77.31, P = 0.029) and mugwort sensitization (sIgE levels exceeding 2.83 kU/L, OR = 8.11, 95% CI: 1.29-50.98, P = 0.026) were identified as independent predictors of anaphylactic shock. Conclusions: Mugwort sensitization and asthma are independent risk factors for food-induced anaphylactic shock in children. Early identification of these risk markers may support early risk stratification and seasonal dietary interventions.
Keywords: food allergy, Anaphylactic shock, Children, mugwort, Asthma, risk prediction
Received: 03 Jul 2025; Accepted: 06 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhou, Zhang, Dai and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Zailing Li, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
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