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Mucosal IgE to Improve Diagnosis of Food Allergy and Food Hypersensitivity

Not Applicable
Recruiting
Conditions
Food Allergy
Food Hypersensitivity
Interventions
Other: biopsy sampling
Registration Number
NCT05259826
Lead Sponsor
University of Erlangen-Nürnberg Medical School
Brief Summary

Aim of the study is to improve the diagnosis of food allergy and hypersensitivity. Intestinal homogenates will be used to determine total IgE, specific IgE, tryptase, histamine and inflammation parameters (IFNgamma, TNFalpha). These data will be correlated with serum values and disease status. In addition, organoids from duodenal tissue will be isolated and cultured in vitro and stimulated with the major food allergens. The gene and protein expression will be checked to identify relevant biomarkers.

Detailed Description

Food intolerances (FI) show an increasing prevalence and represent a particular challenge in clinical practice. The symptoms of a predominantly gastrointestinally mediated food allergy (FA) are similar to the symptoms of other FI (e.g. carbohydrate malabsorption, gluten sensitivity, histamine intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome), so that diagnosis is difficult and often delayed.

Well-evaluated methods for the clarification of an allergic disease are serological screening (IgE against food products or other cross-reacting allergens) and skin prick tests. However, these methodes have their limitations in the diagnosis of seronegative or mainly gastrointestinal-mediated FI. Patients often associate the consumption of certain foods with the clinical symptoms, which often leads to strict self-imposed elimination diets, but rarely to the correct identification of the triggering food.

In a pilot study, the investigators showed that patients with gastrointestinal FI have elevated mucosal IgE levels and TNF using homogenates from intestinal biopsies. Another patient subgroup could be identified that showed low allergic parameters (low mucosal IgE, low TNF) but high mucosal interferon levels, indicating a non-specific inflammation.

In this study, mucosal IgE, tryptase, histamine, IL4, and inflammatory parameters (e.g. TNF, IFN) from different areas of the gastrointestinal tract will be determined in a larger collective. Furthermore, organoids are cultured in vitro from duodenal tissue samples, incubated with blood cells and stimulated with food allergens. The titres of specific IgE from the mucosal homogenates will be correlated with serum levels and organoid stimulation results to identify relevant biomarkers. Microbiome and metabolome analyses will provide information about the intestinal flora in FI.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
115
Inclusion Criteria
  • informed consent
  • patients with suspected food allergy or hypersensitivity
  • healthy controls with indications for endoscopic diagnostics, e.g. tumour history within the family, exclusion of gastritis
Exclusion Criteria
  • pregnant person

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
patients with food hypersensitivitybiopsy sampling-
healthy controlsbiopsy sampling-
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Determination of mucosal IgE to identify patients with gastrointestinal food allergy3 years

Homogenates of mucosal biopsies will be checked for IgE levels

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Correlation of mucosal IgE and inflammatory parameters with data from organoids3 years

Organoids are isolated from intestinal biopsies, co-cultured with blood cells and stimulated with food antigens. Gene and protein expression will be correlated with mucosal IgE and inflammation

Identification of patients with food hypersensitivity3 years

Homogenates of mucosal biopsies will be checked for inflammatory parameters (TNF, IFN)

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Department of Medicine 1, Hector Center for Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg

🇩🇪

Erlangen, Germany

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