Nature: New U.S. study promises to improve diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases

Allergic diseases have been listed by the World Health Organization as one of the priority diseases of the 21st centuryAccording to epidemiological survey results, more than 40% ofchildren in China aresuffering from allergy problems, and the prevalence rate is on the rise year by yearAllergic diseases can occur at all ages, from newborns to the elderly, which are dysfunctional disorders or tissue cell damage caused by abnormally strong reactions to the body's antigensThe interaction of genetic and environmental factors contributes to the onset of allergic diseases, with exposure to allergens as the main causeA study led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in the United States has found potential markers of allergies and new treatment strategies that promise to improve the diagnosisand treatment of allergiesThe findings were published in the journal Natureallergies are usually caused by IgE antibodiesThese antibodies bind to allergens such as peanuts and trigger reactions to release a range of molecules that cause allergy symptoms, which can be life-threatening in extreme casesAllergen-specificIgE(
sIgE) testing: hundreds of allergens can be detected simultaneously, with stable results, unaffected by food and medicine, and highspecific specificity In particular, severe dermatitis can not be tested, skin scratch patients, the elderly with poor skin reaction and children under 3 , the effects of medication, acute asthma attack period and severe uncontrolled asthma, fear of skin test, as well as the need to assess the severity of allergies and the proposed specific immunotherapy treatment however, to the researchers' bewilderment, many people have allergen-specific IgE antibodies in their blood, but never develop allergy symptoms For example, about half of people who had peanut-specific IgE antibodies (or peanut skin spots tested positive) were not allergic to peanuts In addition, some people with allergies can still detect allergen-specific IgE antibodies in their body's blood after symptoms have disappeared So Dr Robert Anthony of the Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Disease Research at Massachusetts General Hospital and colleagues compared IgE antibodies in people with peanut allergies and non-allergy populations According to the results, the number of IgE antibodies in people with peanut allergies, called salivaic acid, has increased The researchers also found in animal model trials that adding salivary acid to AnIE antibodies enhances allergic reactions caused by the antibody, while removing salivary acid from IgE antibodies inhibits these reactions and reduces allergy symptoms Our results suggest that quantifying salivary acid on IgE antibodies can be a marker for more accurate diagnosis of allergic diseases, while removing salivary acid from IgE antibodies can be a new strategy for treating allergy patients Dr Anthony said to gain a deeper understanding of allergies and their causes, researchers need to further study the mechanisms by which salivary acid affects the activity of IgE antibodies The team is planning to study how to remove salivary acid from IgE antibodies to reduce allergies and develop effective treatment strategies