Balancing Tolerance or Allergy to Food Proteins

Abstract

Dietary proteins usually induce immune tolerance, and yet may trigger life-threatening immune responses in the case of food allergy. The associated type 2 immunity, linked with specific IgE production and activation of mast cells and basophils, is well understood, but the mechanisms related to preventing food allergy are still being deciphered. Recent insights into the mechanisms that regulate oral tolerance and dietary antigen sampling has revealed unique regulatory events that occur during early life and into adulthood. Drawing from both recent clinical and experimental discoveries, this article focuses on the current evidence for how several key stages of life present mechanistic points that might participate in tipping the balance between food protein tolerance or allergy.

Oral immunotherapy with omalizumab reverses the Th2 cell‐like programme of regulatory T cells and restores their function

“…8 Of particular interest is the role in the process of FOXP3 + regulatory T (Treg) cells, given their cardinal function in actively maintaining oral tolerance in the gut. 9, 10 Jones and co-workers found that the number of FOXP3 + T cells observed in cultures of peripheral blood cells stimulated with peanut increased until 12 months of OIT and then decreased afterwards. 11 Earlier studies showed that the ratio of FOXP3 high to FOXP3 intermediate reg-…”

Literature review in support of adjuvanticity/immunogenicity assessment of proteins

“…While different studies are valuable to understand how immunity is controlled, it is still apparent and a major problem in the field of immunology which of the many processes dominates in different circumstances and even what is the final effect of the body in terms of increase or decrease of the immune response 85,94,125,163,178,[252][253][254][255][256][257][258][259][260][261][262][263][264] . While different studies are valuable to understand how immunity is controlled, it is still apparent and a major problem in the field of immunology which of the many processes dominates in different circumstances and even what is the final effect of the body in terms of increase or decrease of the immune response 85,94,125,163,178,[252][253][254][255][256][257][258][259][260][261][262][263][264] .…”

Endotypes of allergic rhinitis and asthma accompanying food allergy

“…The absence of sensitization to food proteins and, correspondingly, food allergy symptoms may be linked to the high, well-controlled, oral tolerance [8].…”