Management of Peanut Allergy

Evaluation and Modification of a Shared Decision-Making Tool for Peanut Allergy Management

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Based on shared decision-making (SDM) principles, a decision aid was previously developed to help patients, their caregivers, and physicians decide which peanut allergy management approach best suits them. This study refined the decision aid's content to better reflect patients' and caregivers' lived experience.

RECENT FINDINGS

Current standard of care for peanut allergy is avoidance, although peanut oral immunotherapy has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in patients 4-17 years old. An advisory board of allergy therapy experts (n = 3) and patient advocates (n = 3) informed modifications to the decision aid. The revised tool underwent cognitive debriefing interviews (CDIs) among adolescents (12-17 years old) with peanut allergy and caregivers of patients 4-17 years old with peanut allergy to evaluate its relevance, understandability, and usefulness. The 20 CDI participants understood the information presented in the SDM tool and reported it was important and relevant. Some revisions were made based on participant feedback. Results support content validity of the Peanut Allergy Treatment SDM Tool.

Dietary management of IgE and non-IgE-mediated food allergies in pediatric patients

Food allergies (FA) consist of both IgE and non-IgE-mediated entities, with varying phenotypes and overlapping and different considerations for each specific disease presentation. In general, all FAs place children at increased risk for inadequate nutritional intake and negative impacts on their nutritional status, as well as negative impacts on the quality of life for the entire family. To minimize these untoward effects, a multidisciplinary approach should be taken, including consultation and management with a dietitian trained in the varying presentations of FA. Families should be instructed on label reading as a first line of nutritional management. During a nutrition consultation, the age of the child, growth, and nutritional status should be considered. Food refusal should be assessed and addressed. Families should be educated on avoidance and appropriate substitutions. In the case of cow's milk allergy, a suitable specialized formula should be suggested if the infant is not breastfed or if breast milk supply is not sufficient. Other mammalian milk should be avoided and careful consideration should be given before plant-based milk is used in young children. Specific food allergies may differ in terms of advice provided on the level of avoidance required, whether precautionary advisory labels should be avoided, and if a maternal avoidance of the allergen during breastfeeding should be advised. The role of immunonutrition on overall health should be discussed.

Anaphylaxis: A 2023 practice parameter update

This practice parameter update focuses on 7 areas in which there are new evidence and new recommendations. Diagnostic criteria for anaphylaxis have been revised, and patterns of anaphylaxis are defined. Measurement of serum tryptase is important for diagnosis of anaphylaxis and to identify underlying mast cell disorders. In infants and toddlers, age-specific symptoms may differ from older children and adults, patient age is not correlated with reaction severity, and anaphylaxis is unlikely to be the initial reaction to an allergen on first exposure. Different community settings for anaphylaxis require specific measures for prevention and treatment of anaphylaxis. Optimal prescribing and use of epinephrine autoinjector devices require specific counseling and training of patients and caregivers, including when and how to administer the epinephrine autoinjector and whether and when to call 911. If epinephrine is used promptly, immediate activation of emergency medical services may not be required if the patient experiences a prompt, complete, and durable response. For most medical indications, the risk of stopping or changing beta-blocker or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor medication may exceed the risk of more severe anaphylaxis if the medication is continued, especially in patients with insect sting anaphylaxis. Evaluation for mastocytosis, including a bone marrow biopsy, should be considered for adult patients with severe insect sting anaphylaxis or recurrent idiopathic anaphylaxis. After perioperative anaphylaxis, repeat anesthesia may proceed in the context of shared decision-making and based on the history and results of diagnostic evaluation with skin tests or in vitro tests when available, and supervised challenge when necessary.

Food allergy-A holistic approach to dietary management. A joint EAACI Research & Outreach Committee and INDANA review

Following a diagnosis of IgE-mediated food allergy, to secure the best outcome, the patient should receive individualized advice tailored to their specific needs, which considers the type and presentation of the food involved, level of exclusion required, risk of cross-contamination and any variance required for age, ethnicity, financial issues, and lifestyle. Issues such as food labels "may contain" statements, and variation in the threshold of reaction and impact of cofactors should also be considered. Most important is the need to ensure that the diagnosis is robust, especially given the nutritional, psychological, and socioeconomic issues that can affect an individual with a diagnosis of food allergy. Unnecessary exclusion of one or more foods that have not triggered allergic reactions, especially in individuals with allergic comorbidities, can result in severe IgE-mediated reactions on re-exposure. Given that food allergies may change over time, the diagnosis should be reviewed, to determine whether resolution is likely, or new-food triggers are reported. Regular assessment is vital, especially during childhood, to ensure reintroduction occurs at an appropriate time, thus enabling increased diversity of the diet and improvement in the quality of life. For some, an IgE-mediated food allergy may necessitate the life-long exclusion of foods, and for others, a food habitually eaten suddenly triggers an allergic reaction in adult life. People of all ages, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds deserve individual advice on the management of their food allergy to support a healthy diet and improve quality of life.

Allergenicity of peanut allergens and its dependence on the structure

Food allergies are a global food safety problem. Peanut allergies are common due, in part, to their popular utilization in the food industry. Peanut allergy is typically an immunoglobulin E-mediated reaction, and peanuts contain 17 allergens belonging to different families in peanut. In this review, we first introduce the mechanisms and management of peanut allergy, followed by the basic structures of associated allergens. Subsequently, we summarize methods of epitope localization for peanut allergens. These methods can be instrumental in speeding up the discovery of allergenicity-dependent structures. Many attempts have been made to decrease the allergenicity of peanuts. The structures of hypoallergens, which are manufactured during processing, were analyzed to strengthen the desensitization process and allergen immunotherapy. The identification of conformational epitopes is the bottleneck in both peanut and food allergies. Further, the identification and modification of such epitopes will lead to improved strategies for managing and preventing peanut allergy. Combining traditional wet chemistry research with structure simulation studies will help in the epitopes' localization.

Food allergies on vacation-there and back again

OBJECTIVE

Food allergy is an important public health concern that affects all facets of life, and travel is no exception. We sought to provide a scoping review regarding the literature pertaining to management of FA while traveling.

DATA SOURCES

Medline and Embase were queried for English-language articles published in the last 20 years containing "food allergy" and "travel".

STUDY SELECTIONS

The search produced 83 references which were reviewed. After removal of duplicates and irrelevant material, 23 references that discussed travel and FA remained, 13 of which were conference abstracts published as supplemental material.

RESULTS

Priorities for consideration by patient-families and their allergist-immunologist include concern for reactions away from home, proximity to emergency medical services, risk for various methods of travel including potential for cross-contact exposure resulting in symptoms, and considerations for international travel including language barriers.

CONCLUSION

Patients with FA must use careful planning and preparation to ensure access to safe food and emergency medications at all times while away from home.

Gut Microbial Signatures Associated with Peanut Allergy in a BALB/c Mouse Model

Multiple studies have uncovered the pivotal role of gut microbiota in the development of food allergy. However, the effects of gut microbiota on peanut allergy are still unclear. Here, we characterized the gut microbiota composition of peanut-allergic mice by 16S rRNA sequencing and analyzed the correlation between allergic indicators and gut microbiota composition. Outcomes showed that the gut microbiota composition was reshaped in peanut-allergic mice, with Acidobacteriota, Lachnospiraceae, Rikenellaceae, Alistipes, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group significantly down-regulated and Muribaculaceae up-regulated. All of them were significantly correlated with the serum peanut-specific antibodies. These results suggested that these six bacterial OTUs might be the gut microbial signatures associated with peanut allergy.

Latest Developments in the Management of Nut Allergies

Purpose of review

In this review, we sought to describe the most recent advances in the dietary and medical management of peanut and tree nut allergy, including selective introduction and immunotherapy.

Recent findings

Dietary updates include changes to labeling laws, improved information sources, and new apps for buying foods in shops and overseas to better protect individuals with nut allergies. There are still issues in the management of nut allergies in schools, such as parents having to resort to packed lunches instead of school meals and patients experiencing bullying. Air travel also poses concern, but additional resources are now available to travelers, and recent evidence suggest limited airborne exposure to nuts. The medical management of anaphylaxis is use of epinephrine; however, this remains underutilized. Needle length and administration devices have been recently debated considering the risk of bone penetration vs subcutaneous administration, and autoinjectors seem to deliver higher peak concentrations than syringes. Selective nut introduction has gained momentum in the last 5 years, demonstrating improved quality of life but with the need for motivated parents for continued consumption and available resources for challenges. Immunotherapy to nuts is also a rapidly developing field, with the balance of efficacy and safety being important considerations in the differing modes of administration.

Summary

The management of nut allergies is a rapidly developing field, and dietary and medical management have progressed significantly in the last 5 years. Future research directions include improving safety and efficacy of food immunotherapy and examining patients’ goals for therapy and treatment outcomes.

Food Allergy from Infancy Through Adulthood

Food allergies are the result of immune responses that cause adverse reactions to foods. Immune responses to foods may produce a spectrum of symptoms and disorders, including acute allergic reactions and anaphylaxis, food protein-induced allergic proctocolitis, food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome, food-dependent, exercise-induced anaphylaxis, and oral allergy syndrome (pollen-food allergy syndrome). Food-allergic responses also contribute to chronic inflammatory disorders such as eosinophilic esophagitis and atopic dermatitis. Although food allergy affects people from infancy through adulthood, there are allergic features that differ according to age (ie, presentation, triggers, and natural course) and have important implications for diagnosis, prognosis, and management. New food allergies can develop at any age, and we propose similarities in the etiology of de novo food allergy whether in infancy or adulthood. The approach to managing food allergy changes dramatically over the life course, and physicians and patients must respond accordingly to optimize care. Food allergy therapies are emerging, and the efficacy and safety of these interventions could differ by age group of those treated. In this review, we highlight interesting observations on the etiology and characteristics of food allergy presenting at different ages and discuss clinical management as it relates to life stage.

Dietary Management of Food Allergy

Worldwide food allergy prevalence is increasing, especially in children. Food allergy management strategies include appropriate avoidance measures and identifying suitable alternatives for a nutritionally sound diet. Individualized dietary intervention begins teaching label reading, which differs among countries or regions. Dietary intervention must result in a nutritionally sound plan including alternatives to support optimal growth and development. Inappropriate or incomplete dietary advice may increase the risk of adverse reactions, growth faltering, and nutrient deficiencies. Evidence indicates input from a registered dietitian improves nutritional outcomes. Nutritional input plays a critical role managing nutritional disorders related to food allergy.

The global burden of illness of peanut allergy: A comprehensive literature review

Peanut allergy (PA) currently affects approximately 2% of the general population of Western nations and may be increasing in prevalence. Patients with PA and their families/caregivers bear a considerable burden of self‐management to avoid accidental peanut exposure and to administer emergency medication (adrenaline) if needed. Compared with other food allergies, PA is associated with higher rates of accidental exposure, severe reactions and potentially fatal anaphylaxis. Approximately 7%–14% of patients with PA experience accidental peanut exposure annually, and one‐third to one‐half may experience anaphylaxis, although fatalities are rare. These risks impose considerably high healthcare utilization and economic costs for patients with PA and restrictions on daily activities. Measures to accommodate patients with PA are often inadequate, with inconsistent standards for food labelling and inadequate safety policies in public establishments such as restaurants and schools. Children with PA are often bullied, resulting in sadness, humiliation and anxiety. These factors cumulatively contribute to significantly reduced health‐related quality of life for patients with PA and families/caregivers. Such factors also provide essential context for risk/benefit assessments of new PA therapies. This narrative review comprehensively assessed the various factors comprising the burden of PA.

The Unmet Needs of Patients with Food Allergies

This article reviews the unmet needs of patients with food allergies. Anxiety is common among patients with food allergies and their caregivers, which naturally stems from the avoidance, exposure, and uncertainty involved in care. Anxiety associated with allergen avoidance can have both adaptive and detrimental effects on overall health. Anxiety has implications for transitioning the responsibility of health and well-being from caregivers to the patients. As more children with food allergies become adults with food allergies, this will be an urgent topic. Moreover, as more exposure-based therapies become available, understanding patients' psychological expectations and experiences of exposure is vital.

Early intervention of atopic dermatitis as a preventive strategy for progression of food allergy

Background

Atopic diseases, such as atopic dermatitis (AD) and food allergy (FA), have increased in prevalence in industrialized countries during the past few decades and pose a significant health burden. They appear to have a common underlying mechanism and a natural disease progression. AD is generally the first atopic disease to manifest followed by other atopic diseases, such as FA, allergic rhinitis, or allergic asthma suggesting that they are likely different manifestations of the same disease.

Body

Evidence suggests that allergic sensitization occurs through an impaired skin barrier, while consumption of these foods at an early age may actually result in tolerance. This has been termed the Dual-Allergen-Exposure hypothesis. Loss of barrier integrity has been hypothesized to enable penetration of allergens, pollutants, and microbes and initiation of an inflammatory immune cascade of events leading to sensitization. The immune dysfunction is thought to further exacerbate the impaired skin barrier to form a vicious cycle. There is much interest in preventing or protecting the skin barrier from developing a proinflammatory atopic state, which may potentially lead to the development of AD and subsequently, FA.

Conclusion

Research on preventing or treating skin barrier dysfunction is ongoing. A number of studies have evaluated the efficacy of emollients in preventing AD and FA with mixed results. Studies have differed in the study design, population characteristics, emollients type, and frequency, duration, and area of application. Emollient type has varied widely from oils, creams, petrolatum-based lotions, and trilipid creams. Current research is directed towards the use of trilipid emollients that are similar to the skin’s natural lipid composition with a 3:1:1 ratio of ceramides, cholesterol and free fatty acids and a pH that is similar to that of skin to determine their effectiveness for skin barrier repair and prevention of AD and FA.

An Approach to the Office-Based Practice of Food Oral Immunotherapy

Oral immunotherapy (OIT) provides an active treatment option for patients with food allergies. OIT may improve quality of life and raise the threshold at which a patient with food allergy may react to an allergen, but it is a rigorous therapy that requires a high degree of commitment by the clinician, patients, and families. Recent guidelines from the Canadian Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology have provided a framework for the ethical, evidence-based, and patient-oriented clinical practice of OIT, and the European Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology guidelines have also recommended that OIT can be used as a potential treatment. The recent Food and Drug Administration approval of an OIT pharmaceutical has accelerated the adoption of OIT. This review provides a summary of the recent Canadian Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology guidelines and a consensus of practical experience of clinicians across the United States and Canada related to patient selection, office and staff preparation, the general OIT process, OIT-related reaction management, and treatment outcomes.

Peanut Allergy: New Advances and Ongoing Controversies

Peanut allergy is one of the most common food allergies in children, with increasing prevalence over time. The dual-allergen exposure hypothesis now supports transcutaneous sensitization to peanut as a likely pathophysiologic mechanism for peanut allergy development. As a result, there is emerging evidence that early peanut introduction has a role in peanut allergy prevention. Current first-line diagnostic tests for peanut allergy have limited specificity, which may be enhanced with emerging tools such as component-resolved diagnostics. Although management of peanut allergy includes avoidance and carrying an epinephrine autoinjector, risk of fatal anaphylaxis is extremely low, and there is minimal risk related to cutaneous or inhalational exposure. Quality of life in children with peanut allergy requires significant focus. Moving forward, oral and epicutaneous immunotherapy are emerging and exciting tools that may have a role to play in desensitization to peanut.

Unmet needs of children with peanut allergy: Aligning the risks and the evidence

BACKGROUND

Peanut allergy is a potentially severe and lifelong allergy, with few effective treatments or preventive measures.

OBJECTIVE

To convene an expert panel of allergists, pediatricians, and advocates to discuss and highlight unmet needs in the prevention and management of peanut allergies.

METHODS

Literature searches of PubMed were performed. The panel evaluated published data on the prevention of peanut allergy, treatment of existing peanut allergy, and management of reactions after unintentional peanut exposures.

RESULTS

The following key unmet needs in the prevention and management of peanut allergy were identified: (1) enhancing and optimizing implementation of early peanut introduction as a means of preventing the development of peanut allergy, (2) developing knowledge translation strategies regarding the safety and efficacy data for current and emerging immunotherapies for peanut-allergic children to support their use in clinical practice, and (3) promoting understanding of true exposure risk in allergic individuals and ensuring access to epinephrine for unintentional exposures that provoke severe reactions. Practitioners should help educate caregivers about the actual risks associated with peanut allergy and its prevention and management so that treatment decisions can be evidence based rather than fear based. Support tools are needed to help address caregiver goals, expectations, and psychological barriers, as well as identify facilitators for prevention and treatment strategies.

CONCLUSION

There are significant unmet needs in our understanding of peanut allergy; addressing these needs will help to enhance understanding of how to most effectively prevent and treat peanut allergy, as well as educate the food-allergic and nonallergic community regarding current evidence-based practices.

IgE binding to linear epitopes of Ara h 2 in peanut allergic preschool children undergoing oral Immunotherapy

BACKGROUND

For patients with peanut allergy, there are currently no methods to predict who will develop sustained unresponsiveness (SU) after oral immunotherapy (OIT).

OBJECTIVE

Assess IgE binding to peanut (PN), Ara h 2, and specific linear epitopes of Ara h 2 as predictors of the important clinical parameters: eliciting dose threshold and attainment of SU following OIT.

METHODS

Samples and clinical data were collected from children undergoing OIT. PN- and Ara h 2-sIgE were quantified by ImmunoCAP^® . IgE binding to linear peptides of Ara h 2 and Ara h 6 was measured with peptide microarrays.

RESULTS

Values of PN-sIgE correlated with eliciting dose (P = .001) and with a higher likelihood of achieving SU (P < .0001), but these relationships were lost at higher values for PN-sIgE (≥14 kIU for eliciting dose and ≥35 kIU/L for SU). In subjects with PN-sIgE ≥ 14 kIU/L, binding of IgE to epitopes 5 and 6 of Ara h 2 was associated with a lower eliciting dose at baseline challenge (P < .001; P_c  < .02). In subjects with PN-sIgE ≥ 35 kIU/L, a combined model of IgE binding to epitopes 1, 5 and 6 with PN-sIgE was highly predictive of attainment of SU (AUC of 0.86; P = .0067).

CONCLUSION

In young patients with peanut allergy, measurement of PN-sIgE and IgE binding to specific linear epitopes of Ara h 2 in baseline samples may allow stratification of patients regarding sensitivity to challenge and outcome of OIT.

Food allergen knowledge, attitude and practices among UK consumers: A structural modelling approach

Food allergies are becoming more prevalent and affect up to 1-2% of adults and 5-8% of children in the UK. This study investigated the food allergen knowledge, attitude towards food allergens and food allergy management practices among food allergic and intolerant consumers and/or their family members and carers. Questionnaires were distributed at three major Free From events in the UK in 2017 and 2018. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used as a confirmatory technique to determine the model's validity. Cereals containing gluten, milk and eggs were the most common triggers reported by the consumers. Other trigger foods such as chocolate, garlic, maize, onions, red and white meat, spices, and fruits such as apples and cherries were also reported. Consumers demonstrated very good understanding on the severity of allergic reactions, prevention method and hidden egg ingredients. Overall, consumers were relatively good in the knowledge section. The participants were motivated in their personal allergen avoidance towards food allergens especially in checking food labels, preference for more free from product choices and handwashing. Consumers did not rely on dietary apps or social media to find out about allergen-free food products. Both knowledge and attitude did not translate into food allergy management practices. Significant correlation between knowledge and attitude was identified suggesting that as knowledge decreases, so will their attitude scores. This study suggests that targeted and systematic food allergy management topics and peer support could be used to improve consumers' knowledge and attitude to positively impact food allergen handling practices.