The eliciting dose of peanut in children and young adults

Monday, 10 October 2011 10:29

A recent study has looked at the influence of factors such as age, sex, degree of sensitisation, and coexistent atopic disease on the eliciting dose in double-blind placebo-controlled food challenges (DBPCFCs) in children allergic to peanut.

Data from 126 children who had positive clinical reactions to peanut during DBPCFCs at the University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands (2001-2009), were analysed. Using the eliciting dose as a measure of clinical sensitivity, age older than 10 years, a specific IgE level above the lowest tertile, and the absence of atopic dermatitis were associated with reactions to lower doses of peanut. No significant associations with the eliciting dose were found for sex, the presence of asthma and rhinitis, and the severity of food reactions by history.

The authors suggest their finding may explain why adolescents experience severe allergic reactions in daily life to peanut more often than do younger children.

Reference: van der Zee,et al. 2011. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. DOI:10.1016/j.jaci.2011.07.050