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en The Evaluation of Food Allergy on Behavior in Autistic Children ایمنی شناسی Immunology Background: Despite many efforts, the etiology of autism remains unknown. Food allergy has been suggested as a pathogenic factor in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Our aim in this study was to determine whether food allergy could be considered as a risk factor for autistic children. Methods: Thirty-nine autistic children were examined by the skin prick test (SPT), and total serum IgE was evaluated by ELISA. SPTs were performed for egg whites, oranges, peanuts, tomatoes, tuna fish, walnuts, aubergines, melons, grapes, and cow milk. Parents and teachers were then asked to exclude these items from the childrens’ diets for six months. After the treatment period, the autistic children who tested positive for food allergies were re-assessed by a standard questionnaire to obtain further information about their medical histories. Results: Three of the study’s 39 autistic children (7.7%) tested positive on the SPT. Total serum IgE levels were elevated in 56.4% of the subjects (mean=164±24.5, cut-off >155 IU/ml). The results showed a decreased mean in the childrens’ autistic behaviors on the Children Autism Rating Scale (CARS) after both eight weeks and six months; however, this decrease was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Food allergy may play a role in the pathophysiology of autism. We conclude that avoidance of certain foods benefits the behavior of autistic children. Autism, Food allergy, Skin prick test 37 42 http://rbmb.net/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1-7&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Mohammad Reza Khakzad mr.khakzad@gmail.com 10031947532846005912 10031947532846005912 Yes Department of Immunology, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran, Postal Code: 9133736351-Zakariya Research center, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran Maryam Javanbakht 10031947532846005913 10031947532846005913 No Psychiatrics Department, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran Atefeh Soltanifar 10031947532846005914 10031947532846005914 No Department of Psychiatrics, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran Maryam Hojati 10031947532846005915 10031947532846005915 No Noor Hedayat Center of Autism Spectrum Disorders, Mashhad, Iran Mehrdad Delgosha 10031947532846005916 10031947532846005916 No Pediatrics Department, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran Mojtaba Meshkat 10031947532846005917 10031947532846005917 No Department of Immunology, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran, Postal Code: 9133736351