Conditions: Milk Hypersensitivity
Keywords: Food hypersensitivity Milk hypersensitivity Milk allergy Food allergy
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 25
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
Background and Rationale

For patients with Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated food allergy, the current management includes identification of the causative food and avoidance. Specifically, among young children, cow's milk allergy is the most common food allergy, occurring in as many as 2-3%. Given the prevalence of milk and the difficulty to avoid it in the diet, the investigators aim to investigate the safety and efficacy of oral immunotherapy for cow's milk allergy.

Main Objective

The primary objective is to study the efficacy of milk oral immunotherapy.

Target Population

Children aged six to 17 years with a history of cow's milk allergy will be recruited from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Allergy clinical offices for the investigators study.

Detailed description:
Primary Study Interventions

Prior to and after the desensitization, we will conduct double-blind placebo controlled food challenges to cow's milk protein. During the desensitization phase, we will give increasing doses of cow's milk protein by mouth on a weekly basis, as tolerated. The desensitization protocol starts with dilutional doses of milk and build up to a goal of 8 ounces of cow's milk.

Main Study Outcome Measure

The percentage of children completing the desensitization protocol in each study group will be the primary outcome measure.

Arms:
arm 1: All subjects will undergo a food challenge (week 2). Subjects undergoing delayed desensitization via milk oral immunotherapy with milk protein powder will begin build-up of desensitization during Week 16 and continue thru Week 50. Total active participation will last 51 weeks. arm 2: All subjects will undergo a food challenge (week 2). Subjects undergoing immediate desensitization via milk oral immunotherapy with milk protein powder will begin build-up of desensitization during Week 3 and continue thru Week 35. Total active participation will last 38 weeks.

Interventions: intervention 1: Milk Oral Immunotherapy intervention 2: Milk Protein Powder intervention 3: Food Challenge
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Subjects will participate in a desensitization protocol over the course of 13 weeks to reach a goal maintenance dose of 8 ounces of cow's milk. Once reaching maintenance, subjects will continue on this dose for 12 additional weeks. intervention 2: Milk protein powder will be administered in incremental doses during the desensitization protocol. intervention 3: None

Protocol document: