EAACI WAO Congress 2013

Milan, Italy
22/06/2013 – 23/06/2013

ILSI Europe presented a poster at the EAACI-WAO Congress 2013 that took place on 22-26 June in Milan, Italy.

SUMMARY

Inappropriate immune responses to allergens could contribute to the pathological processes underlying various noncommunicable diseases. Nutrition may be important in avoidance or mitigation of an allergic response. At the same time, there is a need for guidance on the assessment and interpretation of immune modulation by nutrition. In the generally healthy population, biological markers have to be employed to evaluate the impact of nutrition on prevention or mitigation of allergy. ILSI Europe commissioned an Expert Group (EG) comprising specialists from academia, government and the food industry to prepare a guidance document on immune markers. The EG found that markers involving the standardised assessment of relevant symptoms (e.g. symptoms of common allergies) or in vivo responses to a defined challenge with antigens or allergens (e.g. response to vaccination or allergen provocation) provide the most reliable indication to interpret modulation of immune function. The step-wise approach generated offers a rationale for selecting markers for future trials examining the impact of nutrition on overall immune and allergic response. The overall review and document resulted in a framework to aid the design and interpretation of studies assessing effects of nutrition on several aspects of immune function, including the allergic response.

The data presented were a subset of information from the project, “Monitoring immune modulation by nutrition in the general population: identifying and substantiating effects on human health.” More information on this project is accessible here.

To download the poster, click here.

For more information on this event, visit: www.eaaci.org.