Oral Immunotherapy for Food Allergic Patients

Summer is here, but allergy never takes a vacation. The work on allergy research and treatment continues year round at Assaf HaRofeh/Yitzhak Shamir Medical Center, and we are pleased to present you with an update. The big news is the recent publication of our study on sesame allergy diagnosis in the journal, Clinical & Experimental Allergy. 

Reports of sesame allergy have increased in recent years, and it is a particular concern in Middle Eastern countries like Israel. Due to its broad presence in the Israeli diet, sesame may often be suspected as a triggering allergen. However, confirmation of sesame allergy is not straightforward. Oral food challenges can be performed, but can be traumatic, and are not without risks. Other allergy tests however, have not demonstrated sufficient accuracy. In our study we looked at two alternative allergy tests: a high protein sesame extract skin prick test, and a blood-based basophil activation test. We found that by combining these two allergy tests for sesame, we were able to predict the results of oral food challenges, with 91% accuracy. While our findings are still preliminary pending validation by a prospective study, they do indicate many patients with suspected sesame allergy might not need an oral food challenge for diagnosis. With eighty patients evaluated, this study is the largest to date using the basophil activation test for sesame allergy diagnosis. A link to our paper is included at the bottom of this update.

We thank you, our donors, for the support you have given us in this project. We aim for continued success in our work of investigating, diagnosing and treating food allergy, and look forward to having you as our partners.

Best wishes for a relaxing and enjoyable summer!

Links:

• Link to our paper on sesame allergy diagnosis