title: Hapten may play an important role in food allergen-related intestinal immune inflammation.
abstract: There has been a significant increase in the prevalence of allergic diseases especially over the past 2 to 3 decades. However, the etiology and pathogenesis of food allergy are not fully understood. In recent years, with the huge increase in atopic disease, there has also been an increase in dietary hapten exposure. Allergic reactions to chemical haptens occur, in the overwhelming majority of cases, as an inflammatory reaction in the skin to direct contact with haptens. While reactions to haptens on other epithelial surfaces have only rarely been investigated; it is still not clear whether haptens can combine the food antigens and play a role in the induction of food allergen-related inflammation in the intestine. Further research is needed to reveal the underlying mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology & Molecular Medicine, McMaster University. Hamilton, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Zhi-Qiang
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ping-Chang
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Yang