Specific sublingual immunotherapy with peach LTP (Pru p 3). One year treatment: a case report.
BACKGROUND
Food allergy is an increasing problem with limited therapeutic approaches apart from to the eviction diet.


METHODS
A 40-year-old female patient with food allergy symptoms was polysensitized to almost all vegetable food since the age of 36; the onset of symptoms was during pregnancy. The allergological study demonstrated positive skin prick tests (SPT) to nuts, legumes, cereals, spices, several fresh fruits including peach, and other groups of vegetable foods however, it was negative to common aeroallergens. Serum specific IgE levels were negative (<0.35 kU/L) to profilin and carbohydrate determinants, but positive to Pru p 3 (3.5 kU/L). Positive double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge to peach confirmed the allergic disease. She received specific sublingual immunotherapy with native Pru p 3 at a concentration of 40 mug/ml with 5 administrations per week and a cumulative dose of 200 mug of nPru p 3 per month. After an ultra-rush build-up phase concluded in one day she continued therapy during a year with 5 administrations per week. The clinical evolution and laboratory studies demonstrated an early reduction on SPT reactions with no relevant changes on serum specific IgE, IgG, IgG(1) and IgG(4) to Pru p 3 during the immunotherapy period. The challenge test was negative 4 months after the beginning of the SLIT. Regarding clinical response she markedly improved after the first month of treatment, and by the 3th month she had no major vegetable dietary restrictions, except for nuts and pepper.


CONCLUSIONS
These results demonstrate the excellent efficacy and safety of sublingual specific protein immunotherapy developed according to the patient specific sensitivity profile to Pru p3.
Pereira
Celso
C
Immunoallergology Department, Coimbra University Hospital, Apartado 9057, 3001-301 Coimbra, Portugal. celsopereira@netcabo.pt
Bartolomé
Borja
B
Asturias
Juan Andrés
JA
Ibarrola
Iñaki
I
Tavares
Beatriz
B
Loureiro
Graça
G
Machado
Daniel
D
Chieira
Celso
C