Food Allergy Molecular Basis And Clinical Practice

0

This book addresses the molecular mechanisms of food allergies and related control strategies. To do so, it covers a broad range of topics, including: the basic immunology of food allergies, including crosstalk between gut mucosal immunity and allergens; types of food allergens, structure of food allergen epitopes and cross-reactivity; detection and quantification methods for food allergens; in vitro and in vivo models for evaluating allergenicity; novel food processing methods for the development of hypoallergenic foods; bioactive natural compounds and functional foods for alleviating allergic reactions; modulation of the microbiota in food allergies and use of probiotics in allergic response regulation; and risk assessment and control strategies for food allergens. The information provided will enable food scientists/specialists to design safer and more functional food products, and will help regulatory agencies identify and label food allergens (and thus help consumers avoid allergic reactions). It will help clinicians and public health investigators prevent or treat outbreaks of food allergies, and will provide food producers and processors, as well as government inspectors, with valuable insights into evaluation, risk assessment and control strategies for allergens. Lastly, it will benefit upper-level undergraduate and graduate students in food science and safety, public health, medicine, nutrition and related fields.

Food allergy is an adverse immunological reaction to allergens present in food. Up to 4% adults and 8% children are affected by food allergy. The increase in allergic diseases to food has led to the need for better diagnostics and more effective therapeutic approaches. This book describes the molecular biology and immunology of major food allergens, from laboratory based science to clinical immunology, encompassing novel characterisation and quantification methods, the application of recombinant food allergens in molecular diagnosis and the development of novel therapeutics. This book is the ideal reference tool for researchers, students and allergy clinicians to accurately diagnose and manage food allergies.

Over the past 20 years, public concerns have grown in response to the apparent rising prevalence of food allergy and related atopic conditions, such as eczema. Although evidence on the true prevalence of food allergy is complicated by insufficient or inconsistent data and studies with variable methodologies, many health care experts who care for patients agree that a real increase in food allergy has occurred and that it is unlikely to be due simply to an increase in awareness and better tools for diagnosis. Many stakeholders are concerned about these increases, including the general public, policy makers, regulatory agencies, the food industry, scientists, clinicians, and especially families of children and young people suffering from food allergy. At the present time, however, despite a mounting body of data on the prevalence, health consequences, and associated costs of food allergy, this chronic disease has not garnered the level of societal attention that it warrants. Moreover, for patients and families at risk, recommendations and guidelines have not been clear about preventing exposure or the onset of reactions or for managing this disease. Finding a Path to Safety in Food Allergy examines critical issues related to food allergy, including the prevalence and severity of food allergy and its impact on affected individuals, families, and communities; and current understanding of food allergy as a disease, and in diagnostics, treatments, prevention, and public policy. This report seeks to: clarify the nature of the disease, its causes, and its current management; highlight gaps in knowledge; encourage the implementation of management tools at many levels and among many stakeholders; and delineate a roadmap to safety for those who have, or are at risk of developing, food allergy, as well as for others in society who are responsible for public health.

Applying a scientific approach this unique book covers both pediatric and adult adverse reactions to foods and food additives. Following the successful formula of the previous editions, Food Allergy has established itself asthe comprehensive reference for those treating patients with food allergy or suspected allergy. The book has been thoroughly revised and updated presenting new chapters devoted to food biotechnology and genetic engineering, seafood toxins, future approaches to therapy and hidden food allergens. Food Allergy, fourth edition, is divided into five sections featuring key concept boxes for each chapter. Displayed in a logical manner the book is a practical, readable reference for use in the hospital or private practice setting.

An in-depth review of the current scientific knowledge on food allergens testing, covering the major methodologies and techniques used to detect food allergens. Food allergens are a series of agents, mainly proteins, which cause various unpleasant and sometimes clinical symptoms in humans through consumption of foods. Perhaps surprisingly, there are no treatments against food allergies which have been found to be 100% effective. The scope for individual difference in terms of how a person reacts to a given allergen is massive, making it incredibly difficult and complex to try and medicate against allergies. Food Allergens Testing takes a thorough look at modern molecular biology and immunochemical techniques used to detect food allergens. The eleven chapters constitute an in-depth review of the current scientific knowledge on food allergens, covering the major methodologies and techniques used in validated analytical approaches. The book is aimed at scientists and technical staff in the food industry and analytical laboratories who need an up-to-date treatment of both fundamental and applied research goals on food allergens, as well as a report on the validated methods currently in use for food allergens testing.

Annotation This volume provides a collection of methodologies for basic research, clinical diagnosis, and treatment pertaining to food allergens, including food allergen production, purification, characterization, detection, quantification, and bioinformatics approaches to modern food allergen studies. The chapters in the book are divided into 4 parts: Part I discusses food allergen purification and production, and explores methods of producing recombinant food allergens in bacterial and yeast expression systems; Part II looks at allergen discovery, detection, and quantification covering 3 types of methods--DNA-, protein-, and cell-based methods; Part III focuses on allergenic epitope mapping; and Part IV talks about future developments concentrated around new concepts of allergenicity as an outcome of protein and food matrix interactions. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Cutting-edge and comprehensive, Food Allergens: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource for immunologists, biochemists, molecular biologists, and medical doctors and students working in the food allergy field. This book is also useful for people in the food industry, legislators, food standard agencies, allergologists, pediatricians, and clinicians in the allergic diseases and immunology fields.

This book, based on a recent German publication, offers an overview of basic data and recent developments in the groundbreaking field of molecular allergology. It comprehensively explores the origin and structure of single allergen molecules ("components") and their utility in improving the management of type I, IgE-mediated allergic reactions and disorders like allergic respiratory diseases, food allergies, and anaphylaxis. Highly specific testing, called component-resolved diagnostics, aims to identify and utilize single molecules. Over 200 single allergens from plant or animal sources have been applied to single or multiplex laboratory testing for the presence of allergen-specific IgE. This leap in assay sensitivity and specificity has led to three major advances in patient management: discrimination between primary allergic sensitization and complex cross-reactivity, recognition of IgE profiles for certain allergens and identification of patients most likely to benefit from allergen-specific immunotherapy. The book discusses in detail the benefits and limitations of this 21st century technology, and offers suggestions for the use of molecular allergology in routine clinical practice. It is a “must read” for physicians treating allergic patients as well as scientists interested in natural allergic molecules and their interactions with the human immune system.