Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology - Published Ahead-of-Print
Proteomic applications in food allergy: food allergenomics.
Di Girolamo, Francesco; Muraca, Maurizio; Mazzina, Oscar; Lante, Isabella; Dahdah, Lamia · Wednesday, April 22, 2015, 8:35
Purpose of review: To familiarize the reader with the recent developments in the identification of food protein allergens by proteomics mass spectrometry-based methods, named allergenomics. Recent findings: The proteomic analysis of food protein allergens has became a hot topic in the food safety field in recent years. Indeed, food allergies represent a current and relevant problem in clinical medicine. Several food allergenomics studies have recently been performed, aiming at better understanding the cause of sensitization to cow's milk in breastfed infants and at assessing both the safety of food (e.g. transgenic) and in particular the allergenic properties of processed fish and seafood. Summary: Food protein allergen characterization and quantification, together with the immunoglobulin E epitope mapping, will contribute to the diagnosis/prognosis of food allergy and will lead to a better safety assessment of foods (e.g. novel transgenic foods). Copyright (C) 2015 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
Food for thought: progress in understanding the causes and mechanisms of food allergy.
Ashley, Sarah; Dang, Thanh; Koplin, Jennifer; Martino, David; Prescott, Susan ·Wednesday, April 22, 2015, 8:35
Purpose of review: The community burden of food allergy appears to be rising, yet the causes and mechanisms are not completely understood. The purpose of this review is to provide a snapshot of the state of play of IgE food allergies, with a focus on recent advances. Recent findings: There are still wide discrepancies regarding measures and definitions of food allergy. Even recent studies still rely on food sensitization, self-reporting, or parent-reporting rather than more robust measures. Population-based sampling strategies using objective measures are underway in some countries. Emerging data suggest substantial geographical and ethnic differences in food sensitization and allergy. Trans-cutaneous sensitization, particularly in those with eczema or filaggrin mutations, has been posited as a potential mechanism, as well as gut microbiota and genetics/epigenetics. Treatments for food allergy are still lacking, yet progress is being made, and immunotherapy appears more effective than dietary avoidance. Non-IgE food allergy remains drastically under-explored. Summary: Food allergy is a complex immune-mediated disease consisting of numerous environmental/genetic/epigenetic risk factors; yet interventions are likely to be simple and cost-effective. Copyright (C) 2015 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.