Multiple-allergen oral immunotherapy improves quality of life in caregivers of food-allergic pediatric subjects.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Food allergy (FA) negatively affects quality of life in caregivers of food-allergic children, imposing a psychosocial and economic burden. Oral immunotherapy (OIT) is a promising investigational therapy for FA. However, OIT can be a source of anxiety as it carries risk for allergic reactions. The effect of OIT with multiple food allergens (mOIT) on FA-specific health-related quality of life (HRQL) has never been studied in participants with multiple, severe food allergies. This study is the first to investigate the effects of mOIT on FA-related HRQL in caregivers of pediatric subjects.

Methods

Caregiver HRQL was assessed using a validated Food Allergy Quality of Life - Parental Burden (FAQL-PB) Questionnaire (J Allergy Clin Immunol 114(5):1159-1163, 2004). Parents of participants in two single-center Phase I clinical trials receiving mOIT (n?=?29) or rush mOIT with anti-IgE (omalizumab) pre-treatment (n?=?11) completed the FAQL-PB prior to study intervention and at 2 follow-up time-points (6 months and 18 months). Parents of subjects not receiving OIT (control group, n?=?10) completed the FAQL-PB for the same time-points.

Results

HRQL improved with clinical (change?ConclusionMulti-allergen OIT with or without omalizumab leads to improvement in caregiver HRQL, suggesting that mOIT can help relieve the psychosocial and economic burden FA imposes on caregivers of food-allergic children.

SUBMITTER: Otani IM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4032627 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature