Induction of Sustained Unresponsiveness After Egg Oral Immunotherapy Compared to Baked Egg Therapy in Children with Egg Allergy

Background: While desensitization and sustained unresponsiveness (SU) have been shown with egg oral immunotherapy (OIT), the benefits of baked egg (BE) therapy for egg allergy have not been well studied.

Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the safety and efficacy of BE ingestion compared with egg OIT in participants allergic to unbaked egg but tolerant to BE.

Methods: Children who are BE-tolerant but unbaked egg reactive ages 3 to 16 years were randomized to 2 years of treatment with either BE or egg OIT. Double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges were conducted after 1 and 2 years of treatment to assess for desensitization, and after 2 years of treatment followed by 8 to 10 weeks off of treatment to assess for SU. Mechanistic studies were conducted to assess for immune modulation. A cohort of participants who are BE-reactive underwent egg OIT and identical double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges as a comparator group.

Results: Fifty participants (median age 7.3 years) were randomized and initiated treatment. SU was achieved in 3 of 27 participants assigned to BE (11.1%) versus 10 of 23 participants assigned to egg OIT (43.5%) (P = .009). In the BE-reactive comparator group, 7 of 39 participants (17.9%) achieved SU. More participants who are BE-tolerant withdrew from BE versus from egg OIT (29.6% vs 13%). Dosing symptom frequency in participants who are BE-tolerant was similar with BE and egg OIT, but more frequent in participants who are BE-reactive. Egg white-specific IgE, skin testing, and basophil activation decreased similarly after BE and egg OIT.

Conclusions: Among children allergic to unbaked egg but tolerant to BE, those treated with egg OIT were significantly more likely to achieve SU than were children ingesting BE.