2 weeks Ago By Paul Gallagher
A man with a life-threatening peanut allergy is living a near-normal life after taking part in a “life-changing” study which has offered hope to thousands of people.Richard Lassiter’s allergy is so severe that he has been admitted to hospital on multiple occasions after accidentally eating peanuts, but now the 44-year-old eats four peanuts each morning which he said is like “taking his medicine”.Experts said previous “desensitisation” studies are focused on children, so adults with a peanut allergy are not offered this type of treatment.
However, the new study indicates this could be a potential treatment for adults.if(window.adverts) { window.
adverts.addToArray({"pos": "inread-hb-ros-inews"}); }The peanut desensitisation, also known as oral immunotherapy, works by introducing micro amounts of peanuts and gradually increasing the dosage to build up immunity.Researchers from King’s College London and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust stressed this type of treatment should only be initiated under very close supervision.
Their study, published in the journal, Allergy, included 18 adults with a typical peanut allergy who were gradually desensitised to peanuts.After their allergy was confirmed by teams in hospital, patients were given small amounts of peanut flour to eat at home, starting with the equivalent of 0.5 per cent to 1 per cent of a whole peanut.
Their dosage increased gradually and once they could tolerate 50-100mg of peanut protein they were switched to eating whole peanuts, peanut butter or peanut products.By the end of the study, which was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, two-thirds (67 per cent) were able to eat the equivalent of five peanuts without reacting.if(window.
adverts) { window.adverts.addToArray({"pos": "mpu_mobile_l1"}); }if(window.
adverts) { window.adverts.addToArray({"pos": "mpu_tablet_l1"}); }Larger studies involving many more people are needed to confirm the findings of the small study before it is then approved.
Chief investigator Stephen Till, who is professor of allergy at King’s College London and consultant allergist at Guy’s and St Thomas’, said: “The problem is that once I see (adult) patients in my clinic, there’s been nothing that we’ve been able to do to them – we can’t offer them desensitisation because the data is all from young children – in medicine you can’t give treatment to children or to adults based on a clinical trial that’s been performed in the other group.“So we have got this sort of, and continue to have this sort of big unmet need of adults with peanut allergy.”He added: “We were really pleased because we got the evidence that we hoped we would get – we saw results that were broadly in line with with what been obtained from studies in young children.
Our phase two study suggests that this treatment is potentially effective in adults.”How common is it? Peanut allergy affects approximately 1 in 50 children (2 per cent) and about 1 in 200 adults, according to Anaphylaxis UK.Peanut allergy tends to be persistent and only approximately one in five children outgrow their allergy, usually by the age of 10, Allergy UK says.
Who is at risk of peanut allergy?Infants with eczema and/or egg allergy are more likely to develop a peanut allergy. Approximately 30 to 40 per cent of children with peanut allergy will have an allergy to at least one tree nut.An allergy to peanuts does also increase the likelihood of an allergy to sesame and lupin.
Research has shown that these infants may benefit from the introduction of foods containing egg and peanut from four months alongside other complementary foods.Early introduction is thought to help the immune system tolerate peanut protein. Infants with no eczema or known food allergy can be given food containing peanut from the time that solid food is introduced, at around six months, when baby is developmentally ready, but not before four months and within the first 12 months of life.
This should be in the form of smooth peanut butter or peanut snacks suitable for babies (never use crunchy peanut butter or whole peanuts due to the risk of choking). Once peanut has been introduced into your child’s diet it is important to continue 1-2 teaspoons, two or three times per week to maintain tolerance.Richard, an executive coach from Beckenham in south-east London, was diagnosed with a peanut allergy as a child.
He has always “managed” his condition but felt nervous eating out.“I had a really severe episode on our once-in-a-lifetime holiday to Chile with my wife in 2018 that changed everything,” he said. The episode occurred when the couple were on holiday “1,000 miles from anywhere” when he was given food with peanuts in.
Richard took his auto-injector pen, and his inhaler to ease his breathing, and was taken to hospital by ambulance. He had to stay in a high dependency unit overnight where he needed adrenaline and oxygen.if(window.
adverts) { window.adverts.addToArray({"pos": "mpu_mobile_l2"}); }if(window.
adverts) { window.adverts.addToArray({"pos": "mpu_tablet_l2"}); }On another occasion, during a meal out in Soho, London, Richard said that he accidentally ate peanuts after they were hidden under some ice cream.
#color-context-related-article-3646988 {--inews-color-primary: #46A3E0;--inews-color-secondary: #EBF5FC;--inews-color-tertiary: #46A3E0;} Read Next square LIFESTYLE Nine foods making your hay fever worse - and what to eat to ease symptomsRead More“Within a few seconds, I knew I was in trouble. By the time I was in St Thomas’s it was pretty bad – I remember I’d swollen up to a huge size relative to my normal size and asking the nurse if I was going to make it.”But speaking about the new study, he said: “I got to the point where I was having a total of four peanuts a day, which I still take to this day.
This morning I had my four peanuts after I ate my breakfast, as if it was some sort of a teaspoon of medicine.”He described the change as “life-changing” and leaving him excited about the future.Ashley Dalton, Public Health Minister, said: “This ground-breaking research offers hope to thousands living with peanut allergies.
For too long, people have navigated daily life in fear of accidental exposure that could be life-threatening.”Professor Lucy Chappell, chief scientific adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care and chief executive of the NIHR, said: “These results mark an important milestone in allergy treatment and offers new hope to adults living with peanut allergies. For adults who have long lived with the daily burden and fear of accidental exposure they may have a pathway toward greater safety and an improved quality of life.
”Adam Fox, chair of the National Allergy Study Group, and professor of paediatric allergy at King’s College London, said: “This is only a small study and we hope to see larger studies to follow, but it’s an important proof of principle that this may well be a treatment for adults too. However, this treatment requires careful medical supervision and should never be attempted without this.”.
