Oral Immunotherapy, the Best Approach for Egg-Allergic Patients

Oral immunotherapy may be a promising treatment for people suffering from egg allergy, according to a clinical trial, after which some people were able to incorporate egg into their diet.

Oral immunotherapy is the best promising treatment approach for people having an egg allergy, finds a clinical trial. The study showed that some people were able to incorporate egg into their diet after completing up to 4 years of egg immunotherapy treatment (eOIT).//

"Egg allergy is one of the most common food allergies and usually appears in early childhood. It has significant risk for severe allergic reactions and negatively affects quality of life for children with the allergy," said Edwin Kim, Assistant Professor at University of North Carolina.

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‘Eggs are the most common allergy-causing foods with symptoms extending from mild to the severity and include skin rashes, hives, nasal congestion, vomiting, and other digestive problems.’

"While the allergy does seem to go away with age, it can last into the second decade of life for most people," he said.

These findings were presented at the annual American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) conference in San Francisco.

For the study, 55 patients aged 5-11 years were followed for four years and tested for sensitivity to egg. During the treatment, 40 participants received eOIT and 15 the placebo.

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At the end of eOIT, 50 per cent of patients were classified with unresponsiveness to concentrated egg (scrambled, fried or boiled egg) and/or baked egg (eggs incorporated into something like a cake).

Twenty-eight per cent of patients were classified desensitized, requiring a higher quantity of egg to cause an allergic reaction, and 22 per cent not desensitized.

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"These results further support the effectiveness of eOIT as a safe way of desensitizing children and youth with egg allergy," said Kim.

"Past research also suggests eating egg may actually shorten the amount of time a patient has the allergy. Thus, any amount of egg that is incorporated into an allergy patient’s diet is helpful," Kim said.

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Source-IANS