Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-Mediated Food Allergy in Children: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, Prevention, and Management
Open Access
- 4 March 2020
- Vol. 56 (3), 111
- https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina56030111
Abstract
A food allergy is an immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated hypersensitive reaction to food, which consists in the appearance of allergic symptoms; it can vary from common urticaria to even fatal anaphylaxis. The prevalence of food allergies has been increasing in the past twenty years and it represents a major public health problem in industrialized countries. The mechanism that leads to food allergies is the lack of immunologic and clinical tolerance to food allergens. The diagnosis of IgE-mediated food allergies is based on the combined use of a detailed medical history, in-vivo, and in-vitro research of specific IgE, the elimination diet, and the double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge. The only currently available treatment for allergies is the strict elimination diet. This type of attitude, which we could define as “passive”, does not overcome the risk of accidental reactions due to involuntary intake of the culprit food. For food allergy management, an “active” approach is urgently needed, such as specific allergen immunotherapy, which is currently under development and only used for research purposes. This article aims to give an updated review of IgE-mediated food allergies in pediatric populations in terms of epidemiology, pathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis, and management.Keywords
This publication has 93 references indexed in Scilit:
- Sensitization to Cor a 9 and Cor a 14 is highly specific for a hazelnut allergy with objective symptoms in Dutch children and adultsJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2013
- Early regular egg exposure in infants with eczema: A randomized controlled trialJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2013
- The skin prick test – European standardsClinical and Translational Allergy, 2013
- Standardizing double-blind, placebo-controlled oral food challenges: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology–European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology PRACTALL consensus reportJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2012
- Goblet cells deliver luminal antigen to CD103+ dendritic cells in the small intestineNature, 2012
- The Prevalence, Severity, and Distribution of Childhood Food Allergy in the United StatesPEDIATRICS, 2011
- Rapid oral desensitization in combination with omalizumab therapy in patients with cow’s milk allergyJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2011
- Prevalence of challenge-proven IgE-mediated food allergy using population-based sampling and predetermined challenge criteria in infantsJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2011
- Food allergyJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2010
- Utility of food-specific IgE concentrations in predicting symptomatic food allergyJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2001