Faculty Bibliography

This article explores food allergy and the nascent field of nutritional psychiatry. Individuals with food allergy experience lower levels of "food freedom" than their non-allergic counterparts, which can create cognitive, emotional, social, nutritional, and financial burdens. Patterns of food avoidance may influence neuroinflammatory states as well as the gut microbiome; these changes may be associated with neuropsychiatric symptoms. Food restriction may promote disruption of the microbiome neuroimmune axis, which has been linked to various allergic diseases. Targeted psychological counseling strategies can provide benefit. Food allergy and restricted diets may impact dietary health benefits.

Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis (FPIES) is a non-IgE mediated GI food allergy characterized by delayed, protracted vomiting, accompanied by lethargy and pallor, usually 1-4 hours following ingestion of the food allergen. The pathophysiology of FPIES remains unknown and currently there are no diagnostic biomarkers available to assess disease activity or its resolution. Over the last two decades, FPIES has become increasingly recognized in both pediatric and adult patients. Forty years later after the initial FPIES description, the first international classification of diseases (ICD-10) code for FPIES was established and the first international consensus guidelines for diagnosis and management of FPIES was published. On June 22, 2022, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) held its first virtual multidisciplinary workshop on FPIES. Various clinical and translational aspects of FPIES, as well as the important areas of unmet needs were discussed as priorities for future research during this 2-day virtual workshop. The following report provides a summary of content of the workshop, including updated literature on the topic areas, as well as providing a critical commentary on the state of FPIES.

BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:Management of patients with food allergies is complex, especially in cases of patients with multiple and potentially severe food allergies. Although international guidelines exist for food allergy management, the role of the allergist in the decision-making process is key. OBJECTIVE/UNASSIGNED:Our aim was to investigate the management patterns and educational needs of practicing allergists treating patients with food allergies. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:An online survey was e-mailed to United States-based practicing allergists (N = 2833) in November-December 2021. The allergists were screened for managing 1 or more patients (including ≥25% pediatric patients) with food allergies per month. The allergists responded to questions regarding food allergy management in response to 2 hypothetical pediatric case studies, their familiarity with available guidelines and emerging treatments, and their future educational preferences. A descriptive analysis of outcomes was conducted. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:A total of 125 responding allergists (4.4%) met the eligibility criteria and completed the survey. The allergists prioritized written exposure action plans, patient-caregiver communication, prevention of serious reactions, and consideration of both food allergy severity and allergic comorbidities in the management of patients with food allergies. With regard to recommending biologics in the future, the allergists identified patient history of anaphylaxis and hospitalizations, food allergy severity, and allergic comorbidities as all being important factors to consider when deciding on appropriate treatment options. The allergists noted their ongoing educational needs, especially for current and emerging treatments for food allergies. CONCLUSION/UNASSIGNED:With the treatment landscape for food allergies evolving rapidly, the decision-making priorities and continuing educational needs of allergists will be important in optimizing the management of patients with food allergies.

Omalizumab was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of any single food allergy or multiple food allergies in children aged 1 year and older and adults. There is currently no formal guidance regarding recommended best practices for omalizumab use in food allergy, including patient selection, anticipated goals and outcomes of therapy, procedure for monitoring patients who elect to start omalizumab therapy, and ways in which omalizumab can be incorporated into the landscape of food allergy management and daily clinical practice. This work group report was developed by the food allergy therapies subcommittee of the Adverse Reactions to Foods Committee within the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Consensus, evidence-based guidance regarding experts' recommendations for using omalizumab to treat children and adults with food allergy was developed by using modified Delphi methodology. In iterative fashion, a total of 8 statements regarding how to use omalizumab to treat patients with food allergy were developed by 16 clinical experts. This guidance provides the clinician with a suggested approach to patient selection, initiation of therapy, monitoring of efficacy, and long-term follow-up care. The role of preference-sensitive care is emphasized, with most statements offering care recommendations relevant to the culture and values of a particular practice setting.

We present two pediatric patients with severe uncontrolled asthma who underwent aerodigestive evaluation revealing eosinophilic asthma and eosinophilic esophageal inflammation. They were subsequently initiated on targeted biological therapy for eosinophilic inflammation with dupilumab resulting in clinical and histological improvement. These cases demonstrate that aerodigestive evaluation is an important clinical tool for characterizing asthma phenotypes and diagnosing comorbidities in children with SUA to optimize their treatment regimens.