Therapy for milk allergy offers hope, and caution
Large study shows benefits of gradual introduction to dairy, but protection waned for some patients in smaller studies
By Nathan Seppa
SAN ANTONIO — For people with a dairy allergy, gulping down a glass of milk is unthinkable. But many patients came away with that ability after a months-long program of exposure to increasing amounts of milk, researchers from Israel reported February 24 at a meeting of the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology.
But other data released at the conference raise questions about the long-term sustainability of such treatment. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University report that many children have seen their allergy return several years after completing a similar regimen of what allergists call oral immunotherapy.
“I think they’re not as protected as we were led to believe,” says Robert Wood, an allergist at Johns Hopkins who reported follow-up data on 32 patients.
In the study in Israel, 280 people ages 4 to 27 began the regimen by consuming less than 1 milligram of milk protein, followed by increases every 15 to 30 minutes during the day until they consumed up to 120 milligrams. The patients were treated in a clinic for four days. People who developed allergic symptoms, such as throat swelling or abdominal pain, returned to a dose that they could tolerate, says study coauthor Michael Levy, an allergist at Assaf Harofeh Medical Center in Zerifin.