Ige-mediated food allergy - current problems and future perspectives (review).

ABSTRACT

The incidence and prevalence of FA have changed over time, and many studies have indeed suggested a true rise in prevalence over the past 10-20 years. Recent studies showed that prevalence of self-reported food allergy is 17, 3%, versus challenged confirmed - 0.9%. The majority of allergic reactions to foods, particularly in children, are suggested to be caused primarily by eight foods, namely cow's milk, egg, wheat, soy, peanut, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish. Clinical symptoms of FA include skin, gastrointestinal and systemic reaction anaphylaxis that might be life-threatening and cause fatal reaction. Diagnosis of food allergy is based on SPT, sIgE measurements, component resolved diagnostics (CRD) and double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge (DBPCFC) tests. The primary therapy for food allergy is strict avoidance of the causal foods. Patients should be provided an emergency action plan, including how to administer an epinephrine autoinjector. It is recommended that all infants be exclusively breast-fed, without maternal diet restriction of allergens, until 4 to 6 months of age. Recent studies have shown that oral immunotherapy (OIT) can induce desensitization and modulate allergen-specific immune responses. Further work to evaluate the long-term effectiveness and safety of this therapy is ongoing and needed before they are used in the main-stream care of children or adults with food allergy.