Oral Immunotherapy for Ig-E mediated Food allergy: in practice

Abstract

Oral immunotherapy (OIT) is a treatment that can be proposed to food allergic patients with very favorable results, especially in the short-term. OIT consists of administering the food allergen in progressively increasing amounts attempting to reach a normal dose. Guidelines vary from country to country. EAACI recommends OIT for children over five years of age with a persistent  allergy to cow’s milk, egg and peanut. In Spain and Canada, it is proposed for any age and any food. Since adverse events are always possible, the patient and his family must be well trained to manage these allergic reactions. The aim of OIT is to improve the quality of life of these patients by increasing the reactogenic threshold or in the best cases, by attempting to achieve a state of desensitization or tolerance to the allergen.