Living with a food allergy implies a constant concern due to the fear generated by the potentially deadly reaction that an allergen involves. A new study affirms that exposing you to what gives you allergy could help immunize youalthough, it is not as simple as it seems.
Oral immunotherapy to reverse allergy
Oral immunotherapy is a well -known treatment in babies and children who succeed to control food allergies. Now, a study conducted for the first time with an adult cohort has shown that the only way of Control a food allergy It is not to avoid it strictly throughout life.
The avoidance diets or those in which allergen food is eliminated are fundamental at first, to reduce allergic reactions. However, the oral immunotherapy or expose us progressively and from very minimal doses to allergen substanceit can be fundamental to desensitize who allergy suffers.
That is, the research carried out with peanut allergic allowed to demonstrate that oral immunotherapy increase allergen tolerance, since the average tolerated peanut dose in the participants multiplied by 100 during the trial.
The study recruited 21 adults between 18 and 40 years with clinical diagnosis of peanut allergy, confirmed by skin test, blood test and oral food provocation test.
The participants received 0.8 mg of peanut flour mixed with food, 1.5 mg 30 minutes later, and 3 mg another 30 minutes later.
Participants who tolerated 1.5 mg or 3 mg of peanut flour continued with a daily dose at home for two weeks, equivalent to 0.5- 1% of an entire peanut.
Then, the participants returned to two -week intervals to receive supervised doses of more peanut protein, increasing from 6 mg to 1 gram or the equivalent of four whole peanuts. If participants tolerated between 50 and 100 mg of peanut protein, they were changed to the intake of whole peanuts, peanut butter or peanut derived products with the first dose under the supervision of the medical team.
Once the participants reached a daily dose of 1 gram, they kept it for at least four weeks, before undergoing a double -blind food provocation test controlled with placebo, which consisted of Manage increasing doses of peanut or placebo on separate days, under supervision to evaluate tolerance.
The results show that 67% of the participants could consume at least 1.4 grams of peanut protein or the equivalent of 5 whole peanuts Without lending allergic reaction after exposure to allergen progressively or what is called oral immunotherapy.
Participants were able consume small doses and progressively increase them from food that causes us allergy It can significantly improve the quality of life and reduce the fear of who suffers from it, since it desensitizes and immunizes the reactions.
In any case, It is recommended to consult with a health professional Before performing this type of immunization therapies with allergen exposure, since for studying the medical supervision was essential.
References
- Phomakay, V., Tankersley, M. Allergen Immunotherapy in Young Children. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 2293–99 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11882-022-01035-0. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11882-022-01035-0#citeas
- Hannah Hunter, Kok Loong Ue, Victoria Cornelius, Ching Ching Yung, Iason Thomas, Olympia Tsilochristou, Janice Layhadi, Leonard Q. C. Siew, Carina Venter, Mohamed H. Shamji, Stephen J. Till. Oral Immunotherapy in Peanut-Allergic Adults Using Real-World Materials. Allergy. 23 April 2025. https://doi.org/10.1111/all.16493
Image | Cover photo: Swiss Educational College and Photo 1: Giorgio Trovato.
