由IgE介导的食物过敏反应患病率在2%-10%之间。[3]Sampson HA, Aceves S, Bock SA, et al. Food allergy: a practice parameter update - 2014. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2014;134:1016-1025.http://www.aaaai.org/Aaaai/media/MediaLibrary/PDF%20Documents/Practice%20and%20Parameters/Food-Allergy-A-Practice-Parameter-Update-2014.pdfhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25174862?tool=bestpractice.com[4]Sicherer SH, Leung DY. Advances in allergic skin disease, anaphylaxis, and hypersensitivity reactions to foods, drugs, and insects in 2008. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2009;123:319-327.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19203656?tool=bestpractice.com[5]Chafen JJ, Newberry SJ, Riedl MA, et al. Diagnosing and managing common food allergies: a systematic review. JAMA. 2010;303:1848-1856.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20460624?tool=bestpractice.com其在小儿群体中比在成人的发病率高,在5岁以下小儿中估计为6%-8%,而在成人中为3%-4%。[6]Young E, Stoneham MD, Petruckevitch A, et al. A population study of food intolerance. Lancet. 1994; 343:1127-1130.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7910231?tool=bestpractice.com[7]Bock SA. Prospective appraisal of complaints of adverse reactions to foods in children during the first 3 years of life. Pediatrics. 1987;79:683-688.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3575022?tool=bestpractice.com[8]Bock SA, Atkins FM. Patterns of food hypersensitivity during sixteen years of double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges. J Pediatr. 1990;117:561-567.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2213379?tool=bestpractice.com[9]Jansen JJ, Kardinaal AF, Huijbers G, et al. Prevalence of food allergy and intolerance in the adult Dutch population. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1994;93:446-456.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8120272?tool=bestpractice.com[10]Sicherer SH, Munoz-Furlong A, Sampson HA. Prevalence of peanut and tree nut allergy in the United States determined by means of a random digit dial telephone survey: a 5-year follow-up study. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2003;112:1203-1207.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14657884?tool=bestpractice.com多见于患有特应性皮炎、对某种花粉过敏或乳胶过敏的人群。相同的食物会导致多数反应。在幼小的美国儿童子中,最常见的引起过敏的食物为牛奶(2.5%)、鸡蛋(1.3%)、花生(0.8%)、小麦(约为0.4%)、大豆(约为0.4%)、树坚果(0.2%)、鱼类(0.1%)以及甲壳类动物(0.1%)。[1]Sicherer SH, Sampson HA. 9. Food allergy. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2006;117(suppl 2):S470-S475.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16455349?tool=bestpractice.com就全球而言,流行的过敏原不同。例如,在以色列对芝麻过敏的发病率较高,在法国对芥末过敏的发病率较高,而在中国对花生过敏的发病率较低。[2]Dalal I, Binson I, Levine A, et al. The pattern of sesame sensitivity among infants and children. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2003;14:312-316.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12911511?tool=bestpractice.com[11]Rance F. Mustard allergy as a new food allergy. Allergy. 2003;58:287-288.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12708974?tool=bestpractice.com[12]Beyer K, Morrow E, Li XM, et al. Effects of cooking methods on peanut allergenicity. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2001;107:1077-1081.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11398088?tool=bestpractice.com