How can component- resolved diagnostics help in diagnosing food allergies, such as peanut and/or tree nut allergy in children and adolescents?

Abstract

Food allergy is the most common cause of anaphylaxis in children. In pre-schoolers under 3 years old, cow's milk and hen's egg are the most common elicitors and most children outgrow this allergy. Tree nuts and peanuts are the next most common triggers of anaphylaxis in both children and adolescents and tend to persist from a very young age into adolescence/adulthood. In this article we will focus on the diagnostic tools for hazelnut and peanut allergy. Skin prick tests and specific IgE antibody titres to allergen extracts alone are generally not sufficient to determine whether an acute reaction can be explained by a specific food allergen. Component resolved diagnostics clearly has added value for the diagnosis of clinically relevant food allergy in children and adolescents.