Decrease in antigen-specific CD63 basophil expression is associated with the development of tolerance to egg by SOTI...

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Allergy Research
• Pediatric Medicine

Background:

• Specific oral tolerance induction (SOTI) is increasingly studied for food allergies.
• The precise mechanisms underlying SOTI remain largely unknown.
• Investigating SOTI's impact on basophil activation is crucial for understanding tolerance development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate changes in CD63 expression on basophils after SOTI for egg allergy.
• To correlate these changes with the development of clinical tolerance in children.
• To explore the in vitro basophil activation test (BAT) as a marker for SOTI efficacy.

Main Methods:

• Ten children with persistent egg allergy underwent SOTI.
• Evaluated skin prick tests (SPTs) and open food challenges (OFCs) pre- and post-SOTI.
• Assessed specific IgE levels and performed BAT with egg antigens (EW, OM, OVA) before and after SOTI.

Main Results:

• SOTI resulted in complete egg tolerance in 9 out of 10 children and partial tolerance in one.
• A statistically significant decrease in mean specific IgE levels was observed (p < 0.05).
• CD63 expression on basophils significantly decreased in all patients following SOTI (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Reduced Ag-specific basophil responsiveness correlates with clinical tolerance achieved through SOTI.
• CD63 expression serves as a potential biomarker for SOTI-induced tolerance.
• These findings advance the understanding of SOTI mechanisms in pediatric food allergy.