Peanut Allergy

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There appears to be a strong correlation between youth and the more serious consequences of peanut allergy. While anaphylaxis is rare, it is perhaps also the most fatal aspect of peanut allergy. Those in their teens and young adults have been found to be the most susceptible to anaphylaxis-related deaths. In the majority of fatal incidences, there is often a pattern of common variables, which for the most part may have been individually mitigated. In a peanut threshold dose study, young adults with peanut allergies were found to experience more severe reactions than their younger counterparts. The outcomes of this study have profound implications as it suggests it may not be possible for individuals to simply mature out of their sensitivity …show more content…
For individuals with severe asthma, the potential for fatal bronchospasm throughout peanut-related anaphylaxis was 6.8 times greater in comparison to individuals with mild asthma. Those with mild asthma only had a 2.7-fold higher risk for fatal bronchospasm in comparison to children with no asthma. Airways pathways are believed to be bombarded with an increase in basophils, mast cells, eosinophils and neutrophils in response to becoming activated upon exposure to peanuts allergen …show more content…
The antigens are then offered to MHC class II receptors, which are identified by cell receptors on T-cell. In conjunction with IL-4, this will elicit their differentiation into CD4+ Th2 cells. These Th2 cells multiply and discharge pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, which may attach to B cells of the IgM subtype or undifferentiated B cells. This coupling results in their differentiation into IgE, which have a high affinity for FCER1 on mast cells, basophils, and eosinophils. Once peanut allergens infiltrate mucosal barriers peanut allergens and cell-bound IgE crosslink. This causes the degranulation of preformed allergic mediators and subsequent cell activation, which recruits potent cytokines and chemokines to become active; thus, mediating an inflammation response by histamine and the resultant symptoms typical of allergy. While numerous foods may elicit clinical syndromes in susceptible individuals, the allergic reaction elicited by peanuts is exclusively an IgE-mediated type I hypersensitivity