Clinical and immunological features of peanut allergy
Clinical and immunological features of peanut allergy
A cohort of 622 people who reported peanut allergy was investigated.
Early, occult sensitisation accounts for the majority of cases. The age of onset is decreasing. This may be due to the general increase of consumption of peanut by all age groups, including pregnant and breast feeding mothers. First reactions are severe in 43% and become worse in half of those who only had mild first reactions. The presence of asthma predisposes to severe reactions. Many sufferers do not carry appropriate rescue medications and have been treated inappropriately when they present for medical attention.
Most peanut allergic subjects are members of atopic families. Peanut allergy is rarely an isolated manifestation of atopy. Siblings of peanut allergics have a prevalence of peanut allergy (7%) that is 10 times higher than that in the general British childhood population. Skin prick testing for peanut was 100% specific in children and 77% specific in adults. In food challenge proven peanut allergic adults SPT was 96% sensitive. SPT wheal size correlates weakly with severity but total IgE and peanut specific IgE do not predict severity.
Refined peanut oil did not cause a reaction in any of 60 subjects challenged in a double-blind fashion. Crude oil caused definite reactions in 2 subjects (3.3%) and probable reactions in 4 (6.6%). In a second randomised double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge 6 out of 11 adult peanut allergics reacted to a very low doses (as low as 100 ug dose in 2 cases) of peanut protein. This demonstration of reaction to such a tiny dose is important to the food processing industry and regulatory authorities.
Peanut allergic subjects' T-cells react significantly more than controls to mitogenic stimulation and to stimulation with peanut. There is no evidence of a superantigen effect. A dose response relationship is evident but the proliferative responses do not correlate with clinical severity.
University of Southampton
Hourihane, Jonathan O'Brien
d01c9f21-2399-4d83-a79d-69bcab723bc7
1996
Hourihane, Jonathan O'Brien
d01c9f21-2399-4d83-a79d-69bcab723bc7
Hourihane, Jonathan O'Brien
(1996)
Clinical and immunological features of peanut allergy.
University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.
Record type:
Thesis
(Doctoral)
Abstract
A cohort of 622 people who reported peanut allergy was investigated.
Early, occult sensitisation accounts for the majority of cases. The age of onset is decreasing. This may be due to the general increase of consumption of peanut by all age groups, including pregnant and breast feeding mothers. First reactions are severe in 43% and become worse in half of those who only had mild first reactions. The presence of asthma predisposes to severe reactions. Many sufferers do not carry appropriate rescue medications and have been treated inappropriately when they present for medical attention.
Most peanut allergic subjects are members of atopic families. Peanut allergy is rarely an isolated manifestation of atopy. Siblings of peanut allergics have a prevalence of peanut allergy (7%) that is 10 times higher than that in the general British childhood population. Skin prick testing for peanut was 100% specific in children and 77% specific in adults. In food challenge proven peanut allergic adults SPT was 96% sensitive. SPT wheal size correlates weakly with severity but total IgE and peanut specific IgE do not predict severity.
Refined peanut oil did not cause a reaction in any of 60 subjects challenged in a double-blind fashion. Crude oil caused definite reactions in 2 subjects (3.3%) and probable reactions in 4 (6.6%). In a second randomised double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge 6 out of 11 adult peanut allergics reacted to a very low doses (as low as 100 ug dose in 2 cases) of peanut protein. This demonstration of reaction to such a tiny dose is important to the food processing industry and regulatory authorities.
Peanut allergic subjects' T-cells react significantly more than controls to mitogenic stimulation and to stimulation with peanut. There is no evidence of a superantigen effect. A dose response relationship is evident but the proliferative responses do not correlate with clinical severity.
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Published date: 1996
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Local EPrints ID: 462972
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/462972
PURE UUID: 4d292ee0-d621-4af8-86d1-ec226685884f
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Date deposited: 04 Jul 2022 20:33
Last modified: 04 Jul 2022 20:33
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Author:
Jonathan O'Brien Hourihane
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