De rol van IgG4 in voedselallergie bij kinderen?

Food allergy is an inappropriate hyperreactivity response of the immune system against innocuous antigens in food. Immunoglobulin E (IgE) plays an important role in type I hypersensitivity reactions (IgE-mediated allergic reactions). Although the central role of IgE in food allergy is well investigated, little is known about the function of other immunoglobulin isotypes in allergy and tolerance to food proteins. In non-IgE-mediated food allergy, IgG might mediate hypersensitivity reactions. It has been suggested that IgG might not only mediate allergic reactions but also inhibit or block IgE-mediated allergic reactions by hampering the binding of antigen to cell-bound IgE. The basic principle behind allergen immunotherapy, is to induce the development of a systemic immune response in order to generate allergen-specific blocking antibodies. This review presents an overview of recent findings about the role of IgG4 in food allergy and tolerance.