Abstract
Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated food allergies are reported to affect
around 3.5% of children and 2.4% of adults, with symptoms varying in
range and severity. While being the gold standard for diagnosis, oral
food challenges are burdensome, and diagnostic tools based on specific
IgE can be flawed. Furthering our understanding of the mechanisms behind
food allergy onset, severity, and persistence could help reveal immune
profiles associated with the disease, to ultimately aid in diagnosis.
Alterations to cytokine levels and immune cell ratios have been
identified, though further research is needed to fully capture the
heterogenous nature of food allergy. Moreover, the existence of such
immune alterations also raises the question of potential wider systemic
effects. For example, recent research has emphasised the existence and
impact of neuro-immune interactions and implicated behavioural and
neurological changes associated with food allergy. This review will
provide an overview of such food allergy-driven neuro-immune
interactions, with the aim of emphasising the importance of furthering
our understanding of the immune mechanisms underlying IgE-mediated food
allergy.