Influence of lifestyle factors and stress on the radioallergosorbent test scores: two case reports

It is well known that lifestyle factors and stress can influence the immune system, but it is less clear whether they have any effect on radioallergosorbent test (RAST) scores. The RAST scores were measured over time in 2 allergy patients, being assessed monthly for a period exceeding 10 years in one of them. The potential influence of lifestyle factors and stress on RAST scores was investigated in these 2 patients. The results showed that RAST scores were more strongly affected by lifestyle factors than by environmental levels of allergens. Both patients gave permission for publication of the information in this report. Case 1: The patient was a 68-year-old man with hay fever who was positive for 41 out of 58 RAST items. From 1995 to 2005, testing was performed at monthly intervals to observe changes of the RAST scores. Two months after a major theft, which was important enough to be reported on television, the RAST scores of this patient became maximal. The profile of cedar pollen scores over 3 years is shown in Figure 1, revealing a marked increase after the theft. All 41 items with high RAST scores prior to the theft showed increases that ranged from 19.18-fold to 3.16-fold (mean: 13.72-fold). There was a 19.18-fold increase of the RAST score for strawberry (from 0.50 to 9.59), while the scores for celery, purple squid, potato, and banana increased from 0.63 to 11.00, 0.37 to 6.45, 0.72 to 12.50, and 0.59 to 10.20, respectively. There was also a 2.22-fold increase in immunoglobulin E (IgE) from 494.0 to 1089.0. In addition, there was a more than 10-fold increase in the RAST scores for Anthoxanthum odoratum (sweet vernal grass), ragweed, Japanese cypress, cedar, wheat, corn, rice, sesame, buckwheat, pea, peanut, soy, almond, tomato, carrot, orange, coconut, garlic, apple, bamboo shoot, sweet potato, parsley, melon, malt, mango, banana, pear, peach, grapefruit, spinach, and pumpkin, while there was a more than 3-fold increase in the scores for octopus, crab, squid, shrimp, and house dust. Among 20 items with normal RAST scores prior to the theft, the score increased for 10 items (sardine, horse mackerel, flounder, mackerel, kiwi fruit, α-lactalbumin, lamb, moldy cheese, cocoa, and dog dander). Subsequently, some of the RAST scores decreased over time. In general, this patient’s RAST scores showed monthly variations and annual changes were also observed when scores were compared for the same month of different years. However, > 10-fold changes of the RAST scores for more than 50 items were only observed after the major theft. Case 2: The patient was a 55-year-old woman with hay fever who received advice to improve her lifestyle without taking anti-allergy medication. From 2004, RAST scores for cedar, Japanese cypress, and ragweed were measured in March for three years consecutively and changes of the RAST scores were compared with