EFFICACY OF A NOVEL LOW-ALLERGEN, HIGH-OLEIC PEANUT CULTIVAR IN REDUCING SKIN PRICK TEST REACTIVITY IN SENSITIZED CHILDREN
Keywords:
Allergy, Children, Immunotherapy, Peanut, Sensitization, Skin Tests, ToleranceAbstract
Background: Peanut allergy is a persistent and potentially severe condition in children, with limited strategies for safe tolerance induction. Traditional avoidance and oral immunotherapy approaches present challenges including risk of adverse reactions. Bioengineered peanuts with reduced allergenic protein content and enhanced oleic acid levels offer a potential approach to modulate immune responses while minimizing risk.
Objective: To determine whether daily consumption of a novel low-allergen, high-oleic peanut cultivar can safely reduce skin prick test reactivity in peanut-sensitized children and promote early immunological tolerance.
Methods: A randomized controlled study was conducted in South Punjab involving 60 children aged 5–12 years with confirmed peanut sensitization. Participants were allocated to either the intervention group, receiving daily portions of the bioengineered peanut for eight weeks, or a control group maintaining standard avoidance. Skin prick tests were performed at baseline and at the end of the intervention. Wheal diameters were measured and adverse events were monitored. Parametric statistical analyses were applied to evaluate within- and between-group differences.
Results: The intervention group exhibited a significant reduction in mean wheal diameter from 7.8 ± 1.9 mm to 4.9 ± 1.6 mm (mean change −2.9 ± 1.1 mm), whereas the control group showed minimal change from 7.6 ± 2.0 mm to 7.2 ± 1.8 mm (mean change −0.4 ± 0.9 mm). Mild adverse events occurred in a small proportion of children in the intervention group and were self-limiting. No severe reactions or withdrawals were observed.
Conclusion: Daily consumption of the low-allergen, high-oleic peanut cultivar significantly reduced skin prick test reactivity in sensitized children with minimal adverse events. These findings suggest that bioengineered peanuts may provide a safe, practical strategy for early immunological tolerance induction and may complement existing allergy management approaches.
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