Profile of Positive Specific IgE to Food Allergens in Adults and Children at a Sudanese Medical Laboratory: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Background: This research aimed to examine the profile of IgE sensitization to food allergens among Sudanese adults and children. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in a laboratory in Khartoum State from 2018 to 2020. It included all adults and children with a positive food allergy panel (n = 106). No specific exclusion criteria were used. IgE antibodies against 20 food allergens were detected using the EurolineFoodGulf (IgE) immunoblotting approach. Results were categorized by antibody detection and titer, and compared by gender and age. SPSS v26.0 was used for data analysis, with P < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: Of the 106 participants, 52 (49.1%) were females, and 54 (50.9%) were males. Nut mix, tomato, and peanut allergens showed the highest sensitization rates, with 71 (67%), 60 (56%), and 53 (50%) participants testing positive, respectively. Nut mix was the only allergen to show a statistically significant gender difference (57.7% in females vs. 75.9% in males; χ2 = 4.0, P = 0.046). Conclusion: The most common allergens were nut mix, tomato, and peanut. There was evidence that age plays a substantial role in the distribution of sensitization. Overall, gender was not associated with sensitization, except for nut mix, for which sensitization was significantly higher in males (P = 0.046). As this research reports sensitization rather than confirmed clinical food allergy, clinical correlation is needed in practice. We recommend establishing allergy clinics and prioritizing testing for the most relevant allergens in Sudan.