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Published on: April 21, 2019
Age-specific Metabolomic profiles in children with food allergy
E Crestani1, M Benamar1, W Phipatanakul1
1Division of Immunology, Boston Children's Hospital and Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Insights
Food allergy in children shows distinct metabolic profiles based on age. Younger children exhibit unique bile acid and chemokine changes, while older children display altered fatty acids and inflammatory cytokines, impacting disease progression.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Metabolomics
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Food allergy (FA) in children often co-occurs with eczema, particularly in younger children with specific allergen sensitivities (e.g., egg, cow's milk), which tend to resolve.
- Persistent food allergy in older children is less likely to resolve and shows weaker associations with atopy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-specific metabolic and cytokine differences in children with food allergy.
- To understand how these differences relate to the course and potential mechanisms of food allergy.
Main Methods:
- Categorized 62 children with FA and 28 healthy controls into younger (≤5 years) and older (>5 years) groups.
- Utilized mass spectrometry-based untargeted metabolomic profiling on plasma samples.
- Performed cytokine profiling on plasma samples from FA children in both age groups.
Main Results:
- Younger FA children showed unique alterations in bile acids, polyamine metabolites, and Th2-associated chemokines.
- Older FA children displayed significant changes in long-chain fatty acids, acylcarnitines, and pro-inflammatory cytokines.
- Distinct metabolic signatures were observed between younger and older children with food allergy.
Conclusions:
- Age-specific metabolic profiles in food allergy suggest distinct pathogenic mechanisms and environmental influences.
- Metabolic alterations in FA children vary with age, reflecting different stages of the disease.
- Understanding these age-related metabolic changes is crucial for targeted interventions in pediatric food allergy.
Background:
Food allergy (FA) in young children is often associated with eczema, frequently directed to egg/cow milk allergens and has a higher chance of resolution, while FA that persists in older children has less chance of resolution and is less clearly associated with atopy.
Methods:
Children with FA (n = 62) and healthy controls (n = 28) were categorized into "younger" (≤5 years) and "older" (>5 years). Mass spectrometry-based untargeted metabolomic profiling as wells as cytokine profiling were performed on plasma samples in FA children in each age group.
Results:
Younger FA children manifested unique alterations in bile acids, polyamine metabolites and chemokines associated with Th2 responses, while older FA children displayed pronounced changes in long chain fatty acids, acylcarnitines and proinflammatory cytokines.
Conclusions:
FA children of different ages manifest unique metabolic changes which may reflect at least in part pathogenic mechanisms and environmental influences operative at different time points in the disease course.
