Histoire naturelle des allergies alimentaires non IgE-médiées

Abstract

Non-IgE-mediated food allergies are adverse immune reactions to certain food allergens that are specific for a given individual, but do not involve specific serum IgE antibodies. They mainly affect infants and young children. They include allergic proctocolitis, food protein-induced enterocolis syndrome (FPIES), allergic enteropathy, aspecific digestive dysmotility (e.g., severe reflux, constipation) and certain eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE) responding to the avoidance diet. The most common allergen involved is cow's milk, but other foods may be responsible, particularly in breast-fed infants, although this is rare. The main symptoms are haematochezia in allergic proctocolitis, acute vomiting with pallor and hypotonia in FPIES, stunted growth and chronic diarrhoea in allergic enteropathy, and reflux with feeding difficulties in infantile EoE. Eviction-reintroduction of the suspected allergen is used as a diagnostic test in allergic proctocolitis and enteropathy. In FPIES, there is a clinical definition. For EoE, histological analysis of oesophageal biopsies makes the diagnosis after elimination of differential diagnoses. Treatment involves avoiding the allergen responsible until tolerance is acquired. With the exception of EoE, the course of the disease is favourable in the first 2–3 years of life. There is a risk of developing functional intestinal disorders and atopic diseases. EoE is a chronic disease, with possible cases of remission in paediatrics. The main complications are oesophageal stenosis, food impaction and oesophageal perforation.