Food intolerance prevalence in active ulcerative colitis in southwest China.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Food intolerance is believed to be a source of frequent medical problems in ulcerative colitis (UC), which closely correlate with patients' dietary pattern. Living in an underdeveloped area of China, residents in southwestern region have diverse dietary habits. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of food intolerance in the UC patients in this area and to discuss some of the possible risk factors leading to the condition.

METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: Food antibodies in serum of 80 patients with active UC were determined by standard enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA). This study examined the risk factors contributing to high titers of food antibodies and the dietary patterns correlating with food intolerance in these demographics.

RESULTS: 83.8% of patients (67/80) were found to be seropositive for food intolerance. Patients of female, aged between 20 to 40 and the one who tended to have a high fat diet were tested to be highly seropositive (p<0.05). Neither spicy food intake nor the course the disease manifested any relationship with the presence of food intolerance (p>0.05).

CONCLUSION: Active UC patients in southwestern region of China have showed to be high seropositive in food intolerance, particularly in female and young patients. Dietary patterns with high in fat intake seem to have caused high prevalence of seropositivity in food intolerance. Although rice has been taken as staple food and the spicy food has been popular among citizen in this region, these foods have indicated to no effect on food intolerance in this study.