Practical challenges and considerations for early introduction of potential food allergens for prevention of food allergy.
Recent randomized controlled trials aimed at the prevention of food allergy have led to sweeping changes in food allergy prevention guidelines. Emphasis is now on the introduction of potential food allergens, particularly peanut and egg, rather than avoidance. Though guidelines recommend against delaying introduction of other potential allergens there remains little or no evidence of […]
Infant Allergy Testing and Food Allergy Diagnoses Before and After Guidelines for Early Peanut Introduction.
Background: A landmark 2015 trial on early exposure to peanuts led to expert recommendations for screening and early peanut introduction in high-risk (severe eczema and/or egg allergy) infants, but the impact of this paradigm shift on allergy testing and diagnosis is unknown. Objective: We assessed the effects of the Learning Early About Peanut Allergy (LEAP) trial and […]
Two different composite markers predict severity and threshold dose in peanut allergy.
Background: Safe and cost-effective biological surrogate markers to evaluate the severity and threshold dose of peanut allergy (PA) reactions during an oral food challenge (OFC) are lacking. Objective: To evaluate biological markers associated with the severity and threshold dose of allergic reaction during OFC in a population of children with PA. Methods: Demographic and biologic parameters of children […]
A Prospective Validation of the NUT CRACKER Diagnostic Algorithm for Walnut and Pecan Allergy with Prediction of Severity.
Background: We previously devised an algorithm utilizing skin prick tests (SPT), basophil activation tests (BAT) and co-allergy status to reduce the need for oral food challenges (OFC) in 63 patients with suspected walnut/pecan allergies. Objective: To validate prospectively the NUT CRACKER diagnostic algorithm in a new cohort of patients (n=120) and to study the utility […]
Walnut Allergy across Europe: Distribution of Allergen Sensitization Patterns and Prediction of Severity.
Background: Walnut allergy is common across the globe, but data on the involvement of individual walnut components is scarce. Objectives: To identify geographical differences in walnut component sensitization across Europe, explore co-sensitization and cross-reactivity, and assess associations of clinical and serological determinants with severity of walnut allergy. Methods: As part of the EuroPrevall outpatient surveys […]
Prevalence of physician-reported food allergy in Canadian children.
Background: Food allergy prevalence data has largely been derived from self-report, and estimates vary. Objective: Determine the prevalence of physician-reported food allergy in children using Electronic Medical Record (EMR) data from the Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network (CPSSN). Methods: Retrospective cohort study using the CPCSSN repository, Canada's only primary care practice-based surveillance system. Machine learning algorithms were […]
Prevalence of Food Sensitization and Food Allergy in Children across Europe.
Background: For adults, prevalence estimates of food sensitization (FS) and food allergy (FA) have been obtained in a standardized manner across Europe. For children, such estimates are lacking. Objectives: To determine prevalence of self-reported FA, FS, probable FA (symptoms plus IgE-sensitization), and challenge-confirmed FA in European school-age children. Methods: Data on self-reported FA were collected through a screening […]
Food Allergy Prevention: More Than Peanut.
Given an apparent increase in food allergies worldwide, the focus on prevention strategies has intensified. Following the Learning Early About Peanut study, there is now a widespread acceptance that peanut should be introduced promptly into the diet of high-risk infants. However, most food allergies are caused by triggers other than peanut and additional prevention strategies […]
Oral immunotherapy for hazelnut allergy: a single-center retrospective study on 100 patients.
BACKGROUND: Oral immunotherapy (OIT) protects patients with IgE-mediated food allergies from food-induced allergic reactions due to accidental exposure and may improve their quality of life. This approach has never been evaluated for hazelnut, a major cause of food allergy in Europe. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the proportion of hazelnut-desensitized patients after 6 months of […]
SPT predictive values for the outcome of cashew challenges in children.
BACKGROUND: Cashew is a common cause of tree nut allergy in children. To date there have been few studies of diagnostic tests for cashew allergy, and positive predictive values (PPVs) for cashew as well as other tree nuts are largely extrapolated from studies of peanut allergy. How relevant these cut-offs are for cashew has not […]