Nocturnal enuresis and allergy

Objective. To investigate whether an interaction exists between nocturnal enuresis and allergy. Material and methods. Thirty-seven (20 boys, 17 girls) children with monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis were recruited. We studied an allergy panel that included total IgE, 10 examples of inhalant-specific IgE, 10 examples of food-specific IgE, eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) and Phadiotop. The same panel was studied in a control group of 18 children without monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis. Results. We did not determine statistically significant differences between the enuretic group and the control group in terms of levels of total IgE, the 10 examples of inhalant-specific IgE and Phadiotop. However, two (soybean and hazelnut) of the 10 food-specific IgE and ECP levels did differ significantly between the two groups. Conclusions. This first specific IgE study showed that there may be a relationship between nocturnal enuresis and soybean and hazelnut food allergens. Our findings may explain some cases of nocturnal enuresis. However, further studies are necessary to explain the underlying mechanisms and management of this disorder. © 2005 Taylor & Francis