Intestinal immunology and food allergy

This volume reviews recent findings on gastrointestinal immunity and food hypersensitivity and explores various strategies for preventing and treating food allergies. The book provides clinicians with a thorough understanding of the mechanisms and manifestations of food allergies, the predictive factors for food allergy, the tests available for diagnosing food hypersensitivity, the methods by which tolerance can be induced, and the role of special maternal diets and infant formulas in preventing food allergies. Coverage begins with reviews of the ontogeny of the mucosal immune system, the uptake and transport of macromolecules by the intestine, and the interactions of the nervous system with gastrointestinal mast cells. The book then examines the physicochemical characteristics of food allergens, the clinical manifestations of food hypersensitivity, and the major predictors of the risk of food allergy. Close attention is given to current diagnostic tests for food allergy, including double-blind food challenges and laboratory tests. Other contributors review the normal development of oral tolerance and describe methods for inducing oral and systemic tolerance. A major portion of the