Current opinion in gastroenterology
-
Adverse reactions to food resulting in gastrointestinal symptoms are common in the general population. Although only a minority of individuals complaining of such symptoms have immune-mediated reactions to food (food allergy), gastrointestinal food allergies do exist in both children and adults. This review provides an update on the pathogenesis and clinical management of food allergy manifesting in the gut, emphasizing recent developments in the field. ⋯ These new findings have important implications for the diagnosis and management of food allergies. The availability of recombinant allergens will improve methods to diagnose and treat food allergy, and genetic engineering will allow future therapies such as vaccination against food allergy. Emerging knowledge of the role of the gut flora in mucosal immunity will enhance strategies to prevent and treat food allergy using probiotics such as Lactobacillus GG. Such new approaches will extend existing options for managing food allergy and preventing anaphylaxis.