A study presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology(AAAAI) revealed that oral immunotherapy can induce desensitization in children with egg allergies. The study was a multi-center, randomized, placebo-controlled study looking into the safety and efficacy of oral immunotherapy for egg food allergy.
The investigators enrolled 55 egg-allergic children between the ages of 5 and 18 years and randomized them to receive either a daily dose of egg white solid OIT (n = 40; 62% male; mean age, 7.13 years) or a placebo (n = 15; 60% male; mean age, 7.07 years). All patients underwent initial escalation, build-up, and maintenance (at 2000 mg) for a total of 44 weeks, followed by an oral food challenge.
Results at the end of the study showed that 21 of the 40 children who received the OIT passed the oral food challenge, whereas none of those who received the placebo did.
These results are encouraging and hopefully in the near future, allergists will be able to offer therapeutic options for patients suffering from food allergies. Researchers are also pursuing oral immunotherapy to other foods such as peanuts.
Source: Medscape Medical News
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