Oral Immunotherapy for cashew nut and peanut allergy in children -- a
retrospective single-center study
Abstract
Background Oral immunotherapy (OIT) is increasingly used for the
treatment of childhood food allergies, with limited data available on
cashew nut allergy OIT. This study investigated the safety and
feasibility of cashew nut OIT, comparing it with peanut OIT. Methods We
retrospectively analyzed cashew nut (n=24) and peanut (n=38) OIT cases
initiated between 2018 and 2022. Two different starting protocols were
used, and nut intake was then incrementally increased by 20-30% every
two weeks to reach a maintenance dose of 1 g of nut protein. After
consuming the maintenance dose regularly for 18-24 months, a second oral
food challenge was performed. Patients who passed this challenge were
considered desensitized. The safety of the therapy was evaluated based
on the frequency and severity of adverse reactions during the up-dosing
phase. Results Over the study period, 33% of cashew nut-allergic and
63% of peanut-allergic patients experienced mild to moderate side
effects. Severe reactions occurred in five peanut-allergic children with
high initial IgE levels. Six patients with peanut and none with cashew
nut OIT, were discontinued due to side effects. The mean duration to
reach the maintenance phase was longer for children with asthma or
another food allergy. Among children undergoing the second challenge,
desensitization was achieved in 88% of cashew nut and 69% of
peanut-allergic patients. Conclusion Cashew nut OIT had a low frequency
of adverse effects and was generally well tolerated. However, patient
characteristics influenced side effect risk and treatment duration,
emphasizing the need for individualized OIT plans.