Varied triggers may cause anaphylaxis throughout peanut oral immunotherapy (POIT), however they’re preventable, a small retrospective research suggests.
“Anaphylaxis episodes throughout POIT can happen each throughout dose escalation and upkeep phases,” Aikaterini Anagnostou, MD, PhD, and her co-authors at Baylor Faculty of Drugs in Houston, Texas, write in a Letter to the Editor revealed this month in Pediatric Allergy and Immunology.
“In our real-world cohort…anaphylaxis was usually the results of beforehand reported avoidable triggers,” they add. “Sufferers have to be educated on these in an effort to stop antagonistic outcomes.”
New, Efficient Remedy With Unknown Lengthy-Time period Dangers
Because the US Meals and Drug Administration permitted Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) Allergen Powder-dnfp (Palforzia) in 2020, POIT has been serving to peanut-allergic sufferers keep away from anaphylaxis, however not a lot is but identified about anaphylaxis threat throughout long-term remedy.
To handle this information hole, examine anaphylaxis episodes throughout dose escalation and upkeep, and establish potential threat elements and avoidable triggers, Anagnostou and her colleagues reviewed the information of anaphylaxis episodes in 75 sufferers aged 3-17 years who accomplished POIT at one educational analysis heart between 2017 and 2021.
All sufferers began at 2 mg of peanut protein (pp) and steadily elevated their month-to-month consumption to a upkeep dose of 300 mg pp at roughly 9 months. At that time, 15 sufferers selected to extend their doses to 450-900 mg per thirty days, and three opted to remain at 150 mg. Month-to-month upkeep follow-up ranged from 8-42 months.
Examine findings present that, total, 17% of sufferers skilled anaphylaxis episodes: 53% throughout dose escalation, 47% throughout upkeep, and no anaphylaxis reported after 16 months of remedy.
Anaphylactic reactions have been extra probably in older sufferers and in these with larger baseline peanut-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) and Ara h2 (the strongest predictor of peanut allergy).
Dr Tiffany Owens
Tiffany Owens, MD, assistant professor of allergy and immunology at The Ohio State College Wexner Medical Middle in Columbus, mentioned by electronic mail that, with POIT being a brand new remedy, clinicians are gathering and sharing knowledge to assist them fine-tune their affected person administration.
“An essential element of this research is that the chances for anaphylaxis elevated with age,” famous Owens, who was not concerned with this analysis. “Extra research can be wanted to find out if older people are candidates for POIT, or if this can be a higher remedy for youthful food-allergic youngsters.”
The findings spotlight essential triggers, together with train, viral sickness, dosing on an empty abdomen, scorching bathe quickly after dosing, and unintentional peanut publicity.
Secure for Most, however Monitoring and Extra Analysis Wanted
Suppliers want to coach sufferers on avoiding threat elements and managing threat, Antonella Cianferoni, MD, PhD, affiliate professor of pediatrics specializing in allergy and immunology at Youngsters’s Hospital of Philadelphia, instructed Medscape Medical Information by electronic mail.

Dr Antonella Cianferoni
“Meals allergy impacts between 5% and eight% of youngsters, and all types of allergy immunotherapy, together with POIT, are related to a small threat for anaphylaxis,” Cianferoni, who was not concerned within the research, mentioned. “Peanut and different meals allergy symptoms are lifelong, and life-threatening reactions are unpredictable.”
“This research confirms that, whereas meals immunotherapy requires training, vigilance, and availability of epinephrine, it’s total secure and nicely tolerated by most sufferers,” she added.

Dr Rachel Robison
Rachel G. Robison, MD, affiliate professor of pediatrics specializing in allergy and immunology at Vanderbilt College Medical Middle in Nashville, Tennessee, famous that different research assist the concept larger baseline peanut-specific IgE is linked with elevated reactions to POIT.
“Notably, though some sufferers have been adopted as much as 42 months, no systemic reactions occurred past 16 months,” Robison, who additionally was not related to the research, mentioned by electronic mail. “Following a bigger inhabitants long-term could give higher perception as as to whether these reactions actually reduce over time.
“Elevated age being related to extra systemic reactions deserves extra research,” she added.

Dr Edwin Kim
Edwin H. Kim, MD, director of the UNC Meals Allergy Initiative on the College of North Carolina College of Drugs at Chapel Hill, mentioned that these outcomes are “a reminder that we have to hold our guard up always throughout remedy.” Kim was not part of this analysis staff.
Whereas the advantages of POIT are clear, sufferers and their suppliers have to steadiness the advantages with the dangers, he mentioned by electronic mail.
“POIT, with its sturdy desensitization potential, could be a implausible remedy for peanut allergy; nevertheless, the chance that comes with it could not make it the very best drugs for each peanut-allergic affected person,” Kim suggested.
“For individuals who would possibly wrestle to keep away from triggers, peanut oral immunotherapy won’t be the very best remedy, and ready for different therapies is likely to be the higher selection.”
Funding data was not offered. Anagnostou stories related monetary relationships with DBV Applied sciences and Aimmune Therapeutics. Robison stories related monetary relationships with Aimunne Therapeutics. Two co-authors, in addition to Cianferoni, Owens, and Kim, report no related monetary relationships.
Pediatr Allergy Immunol. Revealed on-line December 4, 2022. Letter to the Editor
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