Seven Chinese patients with buckwheat allergy.

ABSTRACT

Buckwheat is an important crop in China and is also known as an important potent allergen in the population. Here, we report a series of 7 Chinese patients with buckwheat allergy, which has never been reported previously in China. Mean age was 20 years at diagnosis. Patients' symptoms were respiratory, gastrointestinal, cutaneous, and anaphylactic. The routes of exposure were varied. Laboratory allergy test showed that buckwheat-specific IgE levels in all patients were remarkably elevated. Allergen avoidance was the best treatment in these cases. The data suggest that buckwheat can induce various clinical manifestations. Anaphylaxis might be characterized by severe symptoms. Buckwheat pillow is an important source of exposure to buckwheat in China and other Asian countries. Therefore, public education with effective avoidance measures should be an integral part of the management strategy.