title: Oral specific desensitization in food-allergic children.
abstract: The possibility of obtaining oral desensitization in patients with food allergy is still a matter of debate. We decided to evaluate the safety and efficacy of standardized protocols for oral desensitization with the most common food allergens. Forty-two children (ages up to 16 years) diagnosed as affected by food allergy (on the basis of clinical history, skin prick tests, measurement of specific IgE, and double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge) underwent a sublingual-oral desensitizing treatment according to new standardized protocols. The control group consisted of 10 patients who followed an elimination diet. The treatment was successfully completed by 85.7% of the patients. Specific IgE showed a significant decrease, while specific IgG(4) showed a significant increase, in all treated patients. The immunological modifications observed in our patients lead us to hypothesize that oral tolerance may be mediated by the same mechanisms as those involved in traditional desensitizing treatments for respiratory and insect sting allergy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergy, Catholic University, Policlinico Gemelli, Rome, Italy. allergologia@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Giampiero
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Patriarca
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nucera
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pollastrini
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roncallo
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: De             Pasquale
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lombardo
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pedone
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gasbarrini
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buonomo
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schiavino
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000418:Albumins / Q000009:adverse effects; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D021181:Egg Hypersensitivity / Q000628:therapy*; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000628:therapy; D048388:Gadiformes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D027845:Malus / Q000009:adverse effects; D016269:Milk Hypersensitivity / Q000628:therapy*; D017747:Seafood / Q000009:adverse effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014908:Triticum / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins