Real-world experience with long-term peanut vs. tree nut oral immunotherapy in children: A 5 year single center study from Luxembourg

Abstract

Prérequis/Contexte

Oral immunotherapy (OIT) as a treatment modality for peanut (PN)-allergy is well described in randomised clinical trials, and supported by real-world data. Tree nut (TN)-OIT has also proven safe for pre-school children. However, whether such beneficial OIT outcome can be expected in older children, who often have increased PN/TN-specific IgE and a greater risk for adverse reactions, remains uncertain.

Objectifs

We aim to report our real-world experience with peanut vs. tree nut OIT in older nut-allergic children (up to 18 years) over a 5-year follow up period.

Méthodes

Seventy-one nut-allergic children confirmed by oral food challenge (OFC) were recruited in the study, with 5 patients undergoing consecutive double OIT. Participants (median age 8 years) were followed up for upto 5 years. Multiple OFCs upto a cumulative dose of 3 g nut protein were done to assess for desensitization i.e. at 18, 36 and 60 months. Consortium for Food Allergy Research (CoFAR) Grading Scale version 3.0. was used to classify reactions during OFC and OIT.

Résultats/Discussions

In total, 47 PN-OIT (61.8%) and 29 TN-OIT (38.2%) were performed. Thirty-nine PN-OIT (83%) and 27 TN-OIT (93.1%) reached target maintenance dose (MD) after a mean duration of 14 months. Desensitization (DS) rates was consistently higher for the TN-OIT groups at all follow-up time points. After 6 months of daily MD, a significantly higher proportion of TN-OIT (24/24; 100%) successfully passed OFC compared to PN-OIT (28/38; 73.7%), P = 0.009. With continued OIT, DS rates at 3 and 5 years improved for PN-OIT (78.6% and 77.8%). The overall risks of allergic reactions during the build-up phase was equivalent in both groups (Incidence risk ratio; IRR 0.9, 95% CI 0.7-1.1). However, during the maintenance phase, PN-OIT participants had a higher risk of reactions (IRR 0.3, 95% CI 0.2-0.5) and a higher risk of severe reactions compared to TN-OIT (CoFAR Grade 3: IRR 0.2; 95% CI 0.1-0.4). Overall TN-OIT was associated with a more favorable long-term OIT outcome.

Conclusion

Using the same inclusion criteria and immunotherapy protocol, we observe that real-world long-term TN-OIT in older children resulted in more favorable outcome than PN-OIT.