Oral desensitisation to peanut allergy
Monday, 02 March 2009 20:27
A study carried out in the UK on four peanut-allergic children has shown that exposing them gradually to tiny amounts of peanuts over six months increased their tolerance to peanut allergens. By the end of the study, each of the children tolerated the equivalent to at least 10 whole peanuts (approximately 2.38 g protein), more than is likely to be encountered during accidental ingestion. This represented a 478-fold increase in tolerance for the child who was most sensitive prior to the trial.
The researchers maintain it is the first time such an oral desensitization program has been successfully used to treat a food allergy, however it is too early to tell whether the method will be effective on all people with peanut allergy.
The children who took part in the study each had severe peanut allergy, and risked a fatal reaction from contact with even traces of peanut prior to the trial. In fact, during the study, one of the participants had an anaphylactic reaction and required an adrenaline injection.
Reference: Clark AT et al. 2009. Allergy. Feb 17. [Epub ahead of print]
A Canadian news report on the study, featuring interviews with the study participants and the researchers, can currently be viewed at:
