Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:Data on severity of food allergy across nations are lacking. Building on the World Allergy Organization (WAO) DEFASE (Definition of Food Allergy Severity) score, we aim to explore its global applicability as a grading system for IgE-mediated food allergy (FA) severity. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:An international survey (WAO FASE Project) was conducted using an online questionnaire distributed to WAO members. The survey collected detailed data on diagnostic practices, therapeutic options, characteristics of FA patients, severity of reactions (including anaphylaxis), and eliciting doses of allergenic foods. In addition, FA management costs were examined (medical expenses, medication costs, and impact on quality of life and productivity). RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:We obtained information from 157 centers in 50 countries. FA management varied significantly across regions. Oral immunotherapy and omalizumab are widely used in Europe and North America. The use of advanced diagnostic tests (molecular diagnostics) vary widely between these regions. Thirty-five percent of patients with anaphylaxis exhibited severe symptoms (respiratory or cardiovascular compromise), with marked regional differences: more frequent in Western Asia (55.83%), Southern Africa (50%), and less frequent in South-Eastern Asia (12.5%) and Central America (21.72%). Approximately 1 in 4 patients reacted to less than half an age-appropriate portion of the allergenic food. Depending on the region, peanut, milk, egg, wheat, hazelnut, and peach allergies varied considerably. Economic resources and healthcare systems play an important role in determining access to diagnostic tests and therapeutic options, which have a direct impact on the severity and management of FA. CONCLUSIONS/UNASSIGNED:With wide global disparities in access to diagnostic and therapeutic tools for food allergies, this condition entails a vast healthcare and economic commitment. The percentage of patients receiving a high severity diagnosis using DEFASE could be around 3%, similar to that of asthma patients diagnosed with severe refractory asthma.

Allergic diseases, particularly food allergy, can be associated with significant psychosocial impairment. Allergist-immunologists can provide evidence-based information to correct misperceptions and misunderstandings regarding food allergy that may perpetuate cycles of fear and anxiety. While motivational interviewing can be an empathetic approach to empower patients to actualize health goals, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) aims to provide disease-state insight to facilitate an understanding of risk which can facilitate transformation of health beliefs and behavior. Brief CBT (bCBT) is a clinical approach that can help address ineffective management paradigms through conversations that begin with curious questions. In this review we discuss evidence supporting implementation of an integrated method of CBT in the allergy-immunology clinic and provide resources for this approach.

BACKGROUND:Food allergen immunotherapy (FAIT) is a consolidated treatment included in clinical guidelines that has shown efficacy in terms of researcher-defined variables, but little work has been done yet to evaluate patient´s perspectives. OBJECTIVE:We aimed to understand and explore the relevance of different patient-reported outcomes (PROs) METHODS: An EAACI Taskforce designed a questionnaire to prospectively collect information from parents or caregivers of patients below 18 years on FAIT. Participants from North America and several European countries were invited to provide data regarding socioeconomic aspects, allergic background, FAIT modality, burden, safety and food allergy quality of life (FAQoL). As primary outcome, 19 proposed PROs were ranked according to their relevance (5-point Likert scale). A descriptive and cluster analysis of the data was performed. RESULTS:84 FAIT prescribers recruited 857 patients suitable for analysis, 41.5%, 39.7% and 18.8% were on milk, peanut, and egg AIT, respectively. Patients were grouped into regions, South Europe (46.2%), North America (24.3%), Western Europe (20.7%) and United Kingdom (8.9%). Total FAQoL questionnaire score was 4.1 (±SD1.4), significantly higher among South Europeans [4.7 (±SD1.3), p<0.0001]. Worse FAQoL scores were found for milk and egg FAIT vs peanut. Cluster analysis identified 5 different phenotypes of patients considering similar replies to the proposed PROs, labeled: "High expectations", "Beyond protection", "Social Functioning", "Aiming at normalization" and "Low motivations". CONCLUSIONS:The data-driven analysis provided novel information on the level of complexity and personalization that patient´s desires display and opens the field to future research lines to improve FAIT patient-perceived value.

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND:Introducing baked milk into the diet of children with cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) has been shown to potentially accelerate the development of tolerance to non-heated milk. However, there is no standardised milk ladder (ML) protocol, and different scientific societies across countries recommend varying versions. This study aims to assess the effectiveness and safety of the four-step ML (4-ML) compared with the six-step ML (6-ML) in children with IgE-mediated CMPA. METHODS AND ANALYSIS/METHODS:We will perform an open-label randomised trial with two parallel arms in two departments of the same academic hospital. A total of 92 children with IgE-mediated CMPA will be allocated in a 1:1 ratio to introduce cow's milk into their diet according to either 4-ML or 6-ML with a 4-week break period between subsequent steps. Oral food challenge (OFC) with tested products at each subsequent step of the ML will be conducted in hospital settings. The primary outcome will be the percentage of children with tolerance to non-heated cow's milk proteins defined as no allergic reaction to raw cow's milk (120-240 mL depending on the age of the patient) during the last OFC; measured at the end of the 12-week observation period for the 4-ML and 20-week observation period for the 6-ML. Secondary outcomes will include the percentage of children with a negative OFC to each ML step; the percentage of children with anaphylaxis (both those who were treated and those who were not treated with epinephrine); the percentage of children with exacerbation of atopic dermatitis; growth; compliance; and quality of life of the caregivers and parents' anxiety about adverse events during their child's OFC. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION/BACKGROUND:The bioethics committee of the Medical University of Warsaw, Poland, approved this protocol (KB/107/2024). The findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and submitted to relevant conferences no later than 1 year after data collection. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER/BACKGROUND:NCT06664918.