Analysis of proteic serum profile for evaluation of cow's milk protein allergy of the patients attended at a healthcare teaching hospital laboratory

Introduction: Allergy to cow's milk is one of the frequent food allergies.Limiting the applicability of oral tests necessitates the need for alternative protein components serum exams. Aim: To evaluate the serum levels of alpha-lactalbumin, beta-lactoglobulin, casein and total cow's milk protein by the analysis of exams performed in patients of both genders; to quantify the results of the examinations carried out by the health care systems-Public or Private. Casuistic and Methods: A descriptive, retrospective study was carried out, in the period from 2012 to 2017, in a Tertiary Teaching-Hospital laboratory. Data collected, in addition to protein dosages: gender, age of the patient at the time of collect and types of health care. Results: Of the 860 medical records analyzed, 81% belonged to the private system and 19% to the public. Of the total of 4.520 dosages, 80% belonged to the private system and 20% to the public. Of these, 58% were male and 42% were female. Absent sensitization degree was found in 56% of the dosages and present in 44%, with a higher prevalence in the male gender of the private system (p<0.05). Age ranges with the highest number of serum levels were nurseling (54%) and infants (43%). Nurseling had a higher prevalence of non-sensitization (36%) and infants had a higher prevalence of sensitization (24%) (p<0.05). Among the 1.948 tests analyzed in the present study, they were present in more than two components of the protein profile, in order of prevalence: total cow's milk protein (31%), beta-lactoglobulin (25%), alpha-lactalbumin (24%) and casein (20%). Conclusion: The serum protein profile allowed the identification of the sensitization degree present, with prevalence in the male gender, from the private system and in the infant age range and it was little requested by the public system.