American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, Feb. 28-March 3

The annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology was held from Feb. 28 to March 3 in San Diego, drawing clinicians, academicians, allied health professionals, and others interested in allergic and immunologic disease. The conference highlighted recent advances in the fields of allergy, asthma, and immunology.

In one study, Gail Tan, M.D., of the Baylor College of Medicine Texas Children”s Hospital in Houston, and colleagues found that egg and peanut food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) is prevalent, with a substantial increase in cases during the last few years coinciding with the implementation of early food introduction guidelines in 2017.

The authors developed the Southwest FPIES Consortium, which is the largest known FPIES registry to date, to identify risk factors and characterize the natural history of FPIES to improve diagnosis and treatment. The study cohort included 952 patients.

The researchers found that nearly 20 percent of study participants had egg FPIES and 10 percent had peanut FPIES. Patients were predominantly White, non-Hispanic, and privately insured. Comorbid atopy was prevalent in both groups, with 77.3 percent of patients with egg FPIES and 50 percent of patients with peanut FPIES having comorbid atopic conditions. In addition, a subset of patients exhibited both FPIES and immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergies to the same food. Nearly 9 percent of patients with egg FPIES had IgE-mediated egg allergies, while 7 percent of patients with peanut FPIES had concurrent IgE-mediated peanut allergies. The median age of first reaction was 8 months for egg FPIES and 7 months for peanut FPIES. Tolerance was achieved in 25.4 percent of patients with egg FPIES at a median age of 31.5 months and in 25 percent of patients with peanut FPIES at a median age of 29 months.

“Further research is needed to investigate the potential association between the rise in egg and peanut FPIES cases and early food introduction guidelines, as well as to better understand the prevalence of patients transitioning from FPIES to IgE-mediated allergies,” Tan said. “Additionally, continued study is necessary to improve diagnostic methods, identify risk factors, and develop standardized management practices for FPIES patients.”

Press Release

As part of the PEOPLE (PEPITES Open-Label Extension) study, David M. Fleischer, M.D., of Children”s Hospital Colorado in Aurora, and colleagues found that ongoing treatment with the Viaskin peanut patch shows both efficacy and limited adverse events.