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Conway AE, Golden DBK, Brough HA, Santos AF, Shaker MS. Serologic measurements for peanut allergy: Predicting clinical severity is complex. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2024; 132:686-693. [PMID: 38272114 DOI: 10.1016/j.anai.2024.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Allergist-immunologists use serologic peanut allergy testing to maximize test sensitivity and specificity while minimizing cost and inconvenience. Recent advances toward this goal include a better understanding of specific IgE (sIgE) and component testing, epitope-sIgE assays, and basophil activation testing. Predicting reaction severity with serologic testing is challenged by a range of co-factors that influence reaction severity, such as the amount and form of any allergen consumed and comorbid disease. In 2020, the Allergy Immunology Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters recommended Ara h 2-sIgE as the most cost-effective diagnostic test for peanut allergy because of its superior performance, when compared with skin prick testing and serum IgE. Basophil activation testing, a functional test of allergic response not evaluated in the Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters guideline, is a promising option for both allergy diagnosis and prognosis. Similarly, epitope-sIgE testing may improve prediction of reaction thresholds, but further validation is needed. Despite advances in food allergy testing, many of these tools remain limited by cost, accessibility, and feasibility. In addition, there is a need for further research on how atopic dermatitis may be modifying serologic food allergy severity assessments. Given these limitations, allergy test selection requires a shared decision-making approach so that a patient's values and preferences regarding financial impact, inconvenience, and psychological effects are considered in the context of clinician expertise on the timing and use of optimized testing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David B K Golden
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Helen A Brough
- Department of Women and Children's Health (Pediatric Allergy), School of Life Courses Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Children's Allergy Service and Children's Allergy Service, Evelina Children's Hospital, Guy's and St. Thomas's NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alexandra F Santos
- Department of Women and Children's Health (Pediatric Allergy), School of Life Courses Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Children's Allergy Service and Children's Allergy Service, Evelina Children's Hospital, Guy's and St. Thomas's NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom; Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marcus S Shaker
- Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, New Hampshire; Section of Allergy and Immunology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire.
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Sato S, Ebisawa M. Precision allergy molecular diagnosis applications in food allergy. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol 2024; 24:129-137. [PMID: 38529801 DOI: 10.1097/aci.0000000000000977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Precision medicine has become important in the diagnosis and management of food allergies. This review summarizes the latest information regarding molecular allergology, an essential component of food allergy managements. RECENT FINDINGS Component-resolved diagnostics (CRD) can be used to investigate sensitization to allergens based on symptoms and to reveal co-sensitization and/or cross-sensitization in patients with allergies. The following allergen components are known to be associated with symptoms: ovomucoid from eggs, omega-5 gliadin from wheat, and many storage proteins (Gly m 8 from soy, Ara h 2 from peanut, Cor a 14 from hazelnut, Ana o 3 from cashew nut, Jug r 1 from walnut, and Ses i 1 from sesame). Recent studies on allergens of macadamia nuts (Mac i 1 and Mac i 2), almonds (Pru du 6), fish (parvalbumin and collagen), and shrimp (Pem m 1 and Pem m 14) have provided additional information regarding CRD. In addition, Pru p 7 is a risk factor for systemic reactions to peaches and has recently been found to cross-react with cypress and Japanese cedar pollen. SUMMARY CRD provides information of individualized sensitization profiles related to symptoms and severity of allergies in patients. Clinical practice based on CRD offers many benefits, such as higher diagnostic accuracy and improved management of individual patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sakura Sato
- Department of Allergy, Clinical Research Center for Allergy and Rheumatology, NHO Sagamihara National Hospital, Kanagawa, Japan
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3
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Ebo DG, Elst J, Van Gasse AL, Mertens C, Sabato V. Correspondence to "Basophil activation test as predictor of severity and threshold of allergic reactions to egg". Allergy 2024; 79:1386-1388. [PMID: 37985443 DOI: 10.1111/all.15950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Didier G Ebo
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Immunology, Allergology, Rheumatology, The Infla-Med Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp and Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Jessy Elst
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Immunology, Allergology, Rheumatology, The Infla-Med Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp and Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Athina L Van Gasse
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Immunology, Allergology, Rheumatology, The Infla-Med Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp and Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerpen, Belgium
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Paediatrics, The Infla-Med Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp and Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Christel Mertens
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Immunology, Allergology, Rheumatology, The Infla-Med Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp and Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Vito Sabato
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Immunology, Allergology, Rheumatology, The Infla-Med Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp and Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerpen, Belgium
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Santos AF, Antoneria G, Jama Z, Ilangovan J, Houghton V. Reply to the correspondence on "Basophil activation test as predictor of severity and threshold of allergic reactions to egg". Allergy 2024; 79:1389-1391. [PMID: 38462821 DOI: 10.1111/all.16101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra F Santos
- Department of Women and Children's Health (Pediatric Allergy), School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
- Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- Children's Allergy Service, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | - Grammatiki Antoneria
- Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Zainab Jama
- Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Jana Ilangovan
- Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- Centre for Host Microbiome interactions, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Vikki Houghton
- Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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Bergmann MM, Santos AF. Basophil activation test in the food allergy clinic: its current use and future applications. Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2024:1-8. [PMID: 38591129 DOI: 10.1080/1744666x.2024.2336568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The basophil activation test (BAT) has shown evidence of high sensitivity and high specificity to support the diagnosis of IgE-mediated allergy. It is a functional test that uses live cells analyzed by flow cytometry and thus needs to be performed within 24h of blood collection. BAT has shown to be reproducible and reliable when tested in a clinical diagnostic laboratory with standardized protocols and flow cytometry settings. AREAS COVERED In this review, we summarize the evidence to support clinical use of BAT and the next steps required for clinical implementation for an improve clinical care for patients with suspected IgE-mediated food allergy. EXPERT OPINION BAT has recently been included in Clinical Guidelines of Food Allergy Diagnosis and its implementation in clinical practice depends largely on availability. Proposed clinical applications of the BAT include: distinction between food allergy and asymptomatic IgE sensitization; determination of food allergic status to peanut, tree nuts and seeds in polysensitized children; evaluation of tolerance to baked egg and baked milk in egg and milk allergic children; identification of patients at high-risk of severe allergic reactions; monitoring for spontaneous resolution of food allergy; confirmation of eligibility for specific treatments of food allergy; prediction and monitoring of response to immunomodulatory treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel M Bergmann
- Pediatric allergy unit, Department of Women, Children and Adolescents, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Pediatrics, Centro Pediatrico del Mendrisiotto, Mendrisio, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biomedical Science, Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Alexandra F Santos
- Department of Women and Children's Health (Pediatric Allergy), School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
- Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- Children's Allergy Service, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
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Bourgoin P, Dupont T, Agabriel C, Carsin A, Verles A, Cabanski M, Vitaliti A, Busnel JM. Possible alternative strategies to implement basophil activation testing in multicentric studies. CYTOMETRY. PART B, CLINICAL CYTOMETRY 2024. [PMID: 38572669 DOI: 10.1002/cyto.b.22172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
The Basophil Activation Test (BAT) enables flow cytometry characterization of basophil reactivity against specific allergenic molecules. The focus now revolves around democratizing this tool, but, as blood sample stability could be challenging, after having developed a simplified approach, herein, we aimed to characterize two strategies for implementing BAT in multicentric studies: store and ship blood before or after sample processing. Fresh heparin- and EDTA-anticoagulated whole blood samples followed both BAT workflows: "collect, store, process & analyze" or "collect, process, store & analyze". Storage temperatures of 18-25 °C or 2-8 °C and preservation times from 0 to 7 days were considered. Interleukin-3 was also evaluated. With the "collect, store, process & analyze" workflow, heparin-anticoagulated blood and 18-25 °C storage were better than other conditions. While remaining possible, basophil activation exhibited a possible reactivity decay after 24 h. Under the conditions tested, interleukin-3 had no role in enhancing basophil reactivity after storage. Conversely, the "collect, process, store & analyze" workflow demonstrated that either heparin- or EDTA-anticoagulated blood can be processed and kept up to 7 days at 18-25 °C or 2-8 °C before being analyzed. Various strategies can be implemented to integrate BAT in multicentric studies. The "collect, store, process & analyze" workflow remains a simplified logistical approach, but depending on time required to ship from the clinical centers to the reference laboratories, it might not be applicable, or should be used with caution. The "collect, process, store & analyze" workflow may constitute a workflow improvement to provide significant flexibility without impact on basophil reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pénélope Bourgoin
- Global Research Organization, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, Marseille, France
| | - Thomas Dupont
- Global Research Organization, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, Marseille, France
| | - Chantal Agabriel
- Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Timone University Hospital, APHM, Marseille, France
| | - Ania Carsin
- Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Saint Joseph Hospital, Marseille, France
| | - Aurélie Verles
- BioMarker Development, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Maciej Cabanski
- BioMarker Development, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
- Biomarkers and CDx, Monte Rosa Therapeutics, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alessandra Vitaliti
- BioMarker Development, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Marc Busnel
- Global Research Organization, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, Marseille, France
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Marques-Mejias A, Radulovic S, Foong RX, Bartha I, Krawiec M, Kwok M, Jama Z, Harrison F, Ricci C, Lack G, Du Toit G, Santos AF. Partial Egg Consumption Modifies the Diagnostic Performance of Allergy Tests to Predict Outcome of Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Food Challenges to Egg. THE JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY. IN PRACTICE 2024; 12:660-669.e5. [PMID: 38157981 PMCID: PMC11129315 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaip.2023.12.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many children are consuming some egg when they are diagnosed with egg allergy. We hypothesized that egg consumption could modify the diagnostic performance of allergy tests. OBJECTIVE To stratify diagnostic performance of tests according to egg consumption status. METHODS The BAT2 study (NCT03309488) participants underwent oral food challenge (OFC), food-frequency questionnaires, skin prick test (SPT), specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) and specific immunoglobulin G4 (sIgG4) and basophil activation test (BAT). RESULTS At study entry, 45% of participants reported partial egg consumption ("consumers") and 55% were avoiding egg strictly ("avoiders"). Avoiders had larger SPT (P < .001), higher BAT to egg (P < .001), sIgE to egg white (EW; P = .001) and to ovalbumin (OVA; P = .001), but not to ovomucoid (P = .231). Consumers had higher levels of sIgG4 to all egg allergens (P < .001) than avoiders. In consumers, the test with the best diagnostic performance was BAT (area under the curve [AUC] = .912) followed by SPT to raw egg (AUC = 0.805), EW-sIgE (AUC = 0.738), and OVA-sIgE (AUC = 0.732). In avoiders, the best tests were BAT (AUC = 0.834) and EW-sIgE (AUC = 0.833) followed by OVA-sIgE (AUC = 0.793) and SPT to EW (AUC=0.789). Using 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity cut-offs, the proportion of patients requiring OFC were 33% for BAT, 53% for SPT to raw egg, 61% for OVA-sIgE, and 73% for EW-sIgE for consumers; and 73% for BAT, 79% for EW-sIgE, and 93% for SPT to EW for avoiders. CONCLUSIONS The diagnostic performance of tests is influenced by the immunomodulatory effect of egg consumption. BAT is the most reliable test and reduced the need for OFC, particularly in partial egg consumers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreina Marques-Mejias
- Department of Women and Children's Health (Pediatric Allergy), School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK; Children's Allergy Service, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | - Suzana Radulovic
- Department of Women and Children's Health (Pediatric Allergy), School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK; Children's Allergy Service, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | - Ru-Xin Foong
- Department of Women and Children's Health (Pediatric Allergy), School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK; Children's Allergy Service, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospital, London, UK; Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Irene Bartha
- Department of Women and Children's Health (Pediatric Allergy), School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK; Children's Allergy Service, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | - Marta Krawiec
- Department of Women and Children's Health (Pediatric Allergy), School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK; Children's Allergy Service, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | - Matthew Kwok
- Department of Women and Children's Health (Pediatric Allergy), School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK; Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Zainab Jama
- Department of Women and Children's Health (Pediatric Allergy), School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK; Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Faye Harrison
- Department of Women and Children's Health (Pediatric Allergy), School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK; Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Cristian Ricci
- Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research (AUTHeR), North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Gideon Lack
- Department of Women and Children's Health (Pediatric Allergy), School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK; Children's Allergy Service, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospital, London, UK; Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - George Du Toit
- Department of Women and Children's Health (Pediatric Allergy), School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK; Children's Allergy Service, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | - Alexandra F Santos
- Department of Women and Children's Health (Pediatric Allergy), School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK; Children's Allergy Service, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospital, London, UK; Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.
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Bartha I, Almulhem N, Santos AF. Feast for thought: A comprehensive review of food allergy 2021-2023. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2024; 153:576-594. [PMID: 38101757 PMCID: PMC11096837 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2023.11.918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
A review of the latest publications in food allergy over the past couple of years confirmed that food allergy is a major public health concern, affecting about 8% of children and 10% of adults in developed countries. The prevalence of food allergy varies around the world, with the increase being driven mainly by environmental factors, possibly together with genetic susceptibility to environmental changes. A precise diagnosis of food allergy is extremely important. Both new tests (eg, the basophil activation test) and improved optimization of information provided by existing tests (eg, the skin prick test and measurement of specific IgE level) can contribute to improving the accuracy and patients' comfort of food allergy diagnosis. Understanding the underlying immune mechanisms is fundamental to designing allergen-specific treatments that can be safe and effective in the long term. New discoveries of the immune response to food allergens, including T-cell and B-cell responses, have emerged. Novel therapeutic approaches are being trialed at various stages of development as attempts to allow for more active intervention to treat food allergy. Prevention is key to reducing the increase in prevalence. Early introduction of allergenic foods seems to be the most effective intervention, but others are being studied, and will, it is hoped, lead to modification of the epidemiologic trajectory of food allergy over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Bartha
- Children's Allergy Service, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Department of Women and Children's Health (Pediatric Allergy), School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Noorah Almulhem
- Children's Allergy Service, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, King Fahad Hospital of the University, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Alexandra F Santos
- Children's Allergy Service, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Department of Women and Children's Health (Pediatric Allergy), School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
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Upton JEM, Wong D, Nowak-Wegrzyn A. Baked milk and egg diets revisited. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2024; 132:328-336.e5. [PMID: 38151097 DOI: 10.1016/j.anai.2023.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Most children with milk and egg allergy are nonreactive to modified forms of milk and egg in bakery products such as muffins because of conformational changes in proteins. These baked milk (BM) and baked egg (BE) diets have become commonplace in the management of milk and egg allergy, respectively. Current laboratory- and skin test-based diagnostic approaches remain limited in their ability to predict BM/BE tolerance, resulting in various approaches to introduce these foods. One approach to introduce BM/BE is to offer a medically supervised oral food challenge and then advise dietary introduction of baked products for children who have tolerance. Another approach is adapted from a home-based protocol of graded ingestion of BM or BE originally intended for non-IgE mediated allergy, often referred to as a "ladder." The ladder advises home ingestion of increasing amounts of BM or BE. For children who have allergy to BM or BE, the ladder is essentially oral immunotherapy, although not always labeled or recognized as such. Risk assessment and education of patients suitable for home introduction are essential. A home approach that may be called a ladder can also be used to escalate diets after demonstrated tolerance of baked forms by introducing lesser cooked forms of milk or egg after tolerating BM or BE. A randomized controlled trial provided clear evidence that baked diets can hasten the resolution of IgE-mediated milk allergy. Moreover, BM/BE foods have an emerging role in the treatment of non-IgE-mediated allergy. There is tangential evidence for BM and BE diets in the prevention of IgE-mediated allergy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia E M Upton
- SickKids Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Programme, Division of Immunology and Allergy, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Department of Pediatrics, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Department of Medicine, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
| | - Dennis Wong
- SickKids Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Programme, Division of Immunology and Allergy, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Department of Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada
| | - Anna Nowak-Wegrzyn
- Department of Pediatrics, Hassenfeld Children's Hospital, NYU R. Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York; Department of Pediatrics, Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Collegium Medicum, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland
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10
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Radulovic S, Foong R, Bartha I, Marques‐Mejias A, Krawiec M, Kwok M, Jama Z, Harrison F, Ricci C, Lack G, Du Toit G, Santos AF. Basophil activation test as predictor of severity and threshold of allergic reactions to egg. Allergy 2024; 79:419-431. [PMID: 37680143 PMCID: PMC10952485 DOI: 10.1111/all.15875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Identifying patients at risk of severe allergic reactions and/or low threshold of reactivity is very important, particularly for staple foods like egg. METHODS One hundred and fifty children underwent double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge (DBPCFC) to baked egg (BE), skin prick testing and blood collection for serology and basophil activation test (BAT). Patients who passed BE DBPCFC underwent loosely cooked egg (LCE) DBPCFC. Severity of allergic reactions was classified following Practall guidelines and threshold dose was determined during DBPCFC. RESULTS Sixty out of 150 (40%) children reacted to BE and 16 out of 77 (21%) to LCE on DBPCFC. Considering DBPCFC to BE, 23 children (38%) had severe reactions and 33 (55%) reacted to 0.13 g or less of egg protein (low threshold group). Two children (2 out of 16 = 12%) had severe reactions to LCE. Demographic, clinical and most immunological features were not significantly different between severe/non-severe BE reactors or low/high threshold groups. Severe BE reactors had higher ovomucoid-sIgE (p = .009) and higher BAT to BE (p = .001). Patients with lower threshold to BE had higher IgE-specific activity (p = .027) and BAT to egg (p = .007) but lower severity score (p = .008). Optimal cut-offs for ovomucoid-sIgE had 100% sensitivity, 35% specificity and 60% accuracy and for BAT 76% sensitivity, 74% specificity and 75% accuracy to identify BE severe reactors. Optimal cut-offs for specific activity had 70% sensitivity, 68% specificity and 69% accuracy and for BAT 70% sensitivity, 72% specificity and 71% accuracy to identify low threshold patients. CONCLUSIONS BAT was the best biomarker to predict severity and threshold of allergic reactions to BE and can be useful when making decisions about management of egg allergy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzana Radulovic
- Department of Women and Children's Health (Pediatric Allergy), School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and MedicineKing's College LondonLondonUK
- Children's Allergy ServiceEvelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' HospitalLondonUK
| | - Ru‐Xin Foong
- Department of Women and Children's Health (Pediatric Allergy), School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and MedicineKing's College LondonLondonUK
- Children's Allergy ServiceEvelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' HospitalLondonUK
- Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial SciencesKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Irene Bartha
- Department of Women and Children's Health (Pediatric Allergy), School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and MedicineKing's College LondonLondonUK
- Children's Allergy ServiceEvelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' HospitalLondonUK
| | - Andreina Marques‐Mejias
- Department of Women and Children's Health (Pediatric Allergy), School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and MedicineKing's College LondonLondonUK
- Children's Allergy ServiceEvelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' HospitalLondonUK
| | - Marta Krawiec
- Department of Women and Children's Health (Pediatric Allergy), School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and MedicineKing's College LondonLondonUK
- Children's Allergy ServiceEvelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' HospitalLondonUK
| | - Matthew Kwok
- Department of Women and Children's Health (Pediatric Allergy), School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and MedicineKing's College LondonLondonUK
- Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial SciencesKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Zainab Jama
- Department of Women and Children's Health (Pediatric Allergy), School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and MedicineKing's College LondonLondonUK
- Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial SciencesKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Faye Harrison
- Department of Women and Children's Health (Pediatric Allergy), School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and MedicineKing's College LondonLondonUK
- Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial SciencesKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Cristian Ricci
- Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research (AUTHeR)North‐West UniversityPotchefstroomSouth Africa
| | - Gideon Lack
- Department of Women and Children's Health (Pediatric Allergy), School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and MedicineKing's College LondonLondonUK
- Children's Allergy ServiceEvelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' HospitalLondonUK
- Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial SciencesKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - George Du Toit
- Department of Women and Children's Health (Pediatric Allergy), School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and MedicineKing's College LondonLondonUK
- Children's Allergy ServiceEvelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' HospitalLondonUK
| | - Alexandra F. Santos
- Department of Women and Children's Health (Pediatric Allergy), School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and MedicineKing's College LondonLondonUK
- Children's Allergy ServiceEvelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' HospitalLondonUK
- Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial SciencesKing's College LondonLondonUK
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Bourgoin P, Busnel JM. Promises and Remaining Challenges for Further Integration of Basophil Activation Test in Allergy-Related Research and Clinical Practice. THE JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY. IN PRACTICE 2023; 11:3000-3007. [PMID: 37634807 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaip.2023.08.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
More than 20 years after having been initially proposed, the relevance and usefulness of basophil activation test (BAT) for the field of allergy research and testing were demonstrated on many occasions. Leveraging the fully open format of a flexible, whole blood-based functional assay, BAT has been shown to be equally important for fundamental research, clinical research, and diagnosis. Regardless of whether the focus of a study is on the characterization of the allergenic moiety, on the patient side, or on the study of the fundamental processes involved in the allergic disease or its treatment, BAT enables the gathering of very important insights. In spite of this, its full capabilities have yet to be leveraged. Various bottlenecks, including but not limited to assay logistics, robustness, flow cytometry access, and/or expertise, have indeed been limiting its development beyond experts and long-term users. Now, various initiatives, aiming at resolving these bottlenecks, have been launched. If successful, a broader use of BAT could then be contemplated. In such a situation, its more thorough integration in clinical practice has the potential to significantly change the allergic patient's journey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pénélope Bourgoin
- Global Research Organization, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, Marseille, France
| | - Jean-Marc Busnel
- Global Research Organization, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, Marseille, France.
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Brasal-Prieto M, Fernández-Prades L, Dakhaoui H, Sobrino F, López-Enríquez S, Palomares F. Update on In Vitro Diagnostic Tools and Treatments for Food Allergies. Nutrients 2023; 15:3744. [PMID: 37686776 PMCID: PMC10489659 DOI: 10.3390/nu15173744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Food allergy (FA) is an adverse immunological reaction to a specific food that can trigger a wide range of symptoms from mild to life-threatening. This adverse reaction is caused by different immunological mechanisms, such as IgE-mediated, non-IgE-mediated and mixed IgE-mediated reactions. Its epidemiology has had a significant increase in the last decade, more so in developed countries. It is estimated that approximately 2 to 10% of the world's population has FA and this number appears to be increasing and also affecting more children. The diagnosis can be complex and requires the combination of different tests to establish an accurate diagnosis. However, the treatment of FA is based on avoiding the intake of the specific allergenic food, thus being very difficult at times and also controlling the symptoms in case of accidental exposure. Currently, there are other immunomodulatory treatments such as specific allergen immunotherapy or more innovative treatments that can induce a tolerance response. It is important to mention that research in this field is ongoing and clinical trials are underway to assess the safety and efficacy of these different immunotherapy approaches, new treatment pathways are being used to target and promote the tolerance response. In this review, we describe the new in vitro diagnostic tools and therapeutic treatments to show the latest advances in FA management. We conclude that although significant advances have been made to improve therapies and diagnostic tools for FA, there is an urgent need to standardize both so that, in their totality, they help to improve the management of FA.
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