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Oral Specific Desensitization in Food-Allergic Children

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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 IgG4 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.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Allergy, Catholic University, Policlinico Gemelli, Rome, Italy

    Giampiero Patriarca, Eleonora Nucera, Emanuela Pollastrini, Chiara Roncallo, Tiziana De Pasquale, Carla Lombardo, Alessandro Buonomo & Domenico Schiavino

  2. Institute of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Catholic University, Policlinico Gemelli, Rome, Italy

    Claudio Pedone & Giovanni Gasbarrini

  3. Department of Allergy, Catholic University, Largo Gemelli 8, 00168, Rome, Italy

    Giampiero Patriarca

Authors
  1. Giampiero Patriarca
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  2. Eleonora Nucera
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  3. Emanuela Pollastrini
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  4. Chiara Roncallo
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  5. Tiziana De Pasquale
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  6. Carla Lombardo
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  7. Claudio Pedone
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  8. Giovanni Gasbarrini
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  9. Alessandro Buonomo
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  10. Domenico Schiavino
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Correspondence to Giampiero Patriarca.

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Patriarca, G., Nucera, E., Pollastrini, E. et al. Oral Specific Desensitization in Food-Allergic Children. Dig Dis Sci 52, 1662–1672 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-006-9245-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-006-9245-7

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