Egg white allergy testing in people with low antibody levels
What it found
More than 80% of people with low egg white or ovomucoid antibody levels ate hen's egg during a food challenge without symptoms.
The test was done in 2,058 people at two clinics in Japan.
What they found
Studies in people
Passing the food challenge
Among people with low egg white antibodies, 86.4% (433 out of 501) passed the test without any symptoms. Among those with low ovomucoid antibodies, 82.6% (765 out of 926) passed without symptoms.
Antibody levels compared
People with low egg white antibodies also had lower total antibodies and lower ovomucoid antibodies than those with higher egg white antibodies. The same pattern was seen when comparing groups by ovomucoid levels.
Dose did not change results
The outcome of the food challenge did not depend on the amount of egg given to people with low antibody levels.
What the authors conclude
- They note that more than 80% of people with suspected egg allergy and low antibody levels could eat at least a small amount of hen's egg.
- They suggest that a medium-dose egg challenge may be carried out without problems in people who have never had anaphylaxis, since the dose size did not change the results.
How it was done
Oral food challenges carry a risk of bad reactions, including anaphylaxis. Doctors need to know how these tests go for people who have low levels of egg-related antibodies.
Researchers looked at 2,058 people with low egg white or ovomucoid antibody levels. Each person took a hen's egg food challenge at one of two clinics in Japan between 2017 and 2021. Antibody levels were measured within one year before the test.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This work only included people who already had low levels of egg-related antibodies. It cannot show what would happen in people with higher antibody levels.
- Because the test was open and unblinded, knowing they were eating egg might have influenced how people felt or reported symptoms.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
- Authors work at
- Graduate School of Medical Sciences Kumamoto University, Japan; National Hospital Organization Kumamoto Medical Center, Japan; Kumamoto University Hospital, Japan
The paper
- Title
- Safety of Oral Food Challenge for Individuals with Low Egg White and Ovomucoid-Specific IgE Antibodies
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Ogata M, Yoshida T, Kido J, et al (2024). Safety of Oral Food Challenge for Individuals with Low Egg White and Ovomucoid-Specific IgE Antibodies. International archives of allergy and immunology. doi:10.1159/000531955Free full textPubMed 37725920DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error