COFAR-2

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Over 11 million Americans suffer from food allergies. Their immune systems react negatively to certain proteins found in the food. In some cases, the immune reaction is severe and can even cause death. The problem affects approximately 6% of children and 3.5% of adults in the United States and appears to be on the rise even though early dietary intervention is becoming more common. Peanut allergy now affects 0.8% of young children, is often severe, sometimes fatal and, unlike milk and egg allergy, is more likely to persist into adulthood. There is research that shows that peanut allergy has a hereditary component, but new studies are showing there is an environmental effect as well. Because it is a medical condition that arises from an individual¿¿??s immune response, treatment must be focused on altering that response, both before and after the allergy develops. This observational study targets the population at greatest risk of developing peanut allergy, namely, those patients with a history of allergy to milk and/or eggs. We will collect medical information that will allow us to observe the development of the allergic condition in this population. We expect that 20 % of the patients will develop peanut allergy while 25-50% will lose their allergy to milk and/or eggs. From the medical and observational information that we collect, we will increase our understanding of why peanut allergy develops in some people and milk and/or egg allergy resolves in others. This will contribute to improved prevention measures of food allergies as well as new treatment approaches.