Burden of allergic disease among ethnic minority groups in high-income countries
The COVID-19 pandemic raised awareness regarding inequities and inequalities and poor clinical outcomes amongst ethnic minority groups. Studies carried out in North America, the UK and Australia have shown a relatively high burden of asthma and allergies amongst these groups but the reasons underpinning the high disease burden are not well understood. It is unclear at present if allergic conditions are intrinsically more severe amongst patients from ethnic minority groups. Most evidence shaping our understanding of disease pathogenesis and clinical management is biased towards data generated from white population resident in high-income countries. This narrative review provides an overview of epidemiology, sensitization patterns, poor clinical outcomes and possible factors underpinning these observations and highlight priority areas for research.
Allergy to Peanuts ImPacting Emotions and Life (APPEAL)
APPEAL 1 (Allergy to Peanuts ImPacting Emotions And Life 1) collected data from 1,846 participants in eight European countries and was the first pan-European quantitative, cross-sectional survey that explored the psychosocial impacts of living with PA with use of a novel questionnaire. APPEAL 2 (Allergy to Peanuts ImPacting Emotions And Life 2), was the first qualitative evaluation of the impact of living with peanut allergy conducted across multiple European countries. Researchers interviewed 146 individuals with moderate-to-severe peanut allergies– 39 adults ages 18 to 30 years, 39 adolescents ages 13 to 17 years, and 24 children ages 8 to 12 years, as well as 44 caregivers of peanut-allergic individuals ages 4 to 17 years. The goal of the study was to identify concepts important to peanut-allergic individuals and their parents/caregivers, as well as to compare and contrast the impact of peanut allergy between countries and groups.
Improving the Safety of Oral Immunotherapy for Cow’s Milk Allergy (SOCMA)
Allergy to cow’s milk is the most common food allergy affecting children. There is currently no accepted routine clinical therapy to cure milk allergy. Recently studies have attempted to induce desensitisation using small daily doses of cow’s milk, predominantly by the oral route (oral immunotherapy, OIT). Although this therapy works for some people, its effects are not generally long lasting and it is associated with significant side effects during protocol, including potentially life-threatening allergic reactions. Pilot data suggests that sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT, where allergen is held under the tongue, rather than swallowed) can also induce a degree of desensitisation, but with fewer adverse events. However, the degree of desensitisation induced appears to be lower than that with oral immunotherapy. The investigators wish to determine whether a sublingual pretreatment phase can improve the safety of conventional OIT in cow’s milk allergy.
Patterns and Prevalence of adult food allergy in a UK population (PAFA)
This project has been set up to provide a step-change in our understanding of food allergy in adulthood by determining its prevalence in the adult population. It will provide data to allow the trajectories of the condition in relation to both persistent allergy from childhood and adult-onset food allergy to be described, together with adverse reactions to foods that are not mediated by IgE.