In this expert webinar, Dr. Erwin Gelfand discusses different diagnostic approaches to confirm food allergies and differentiate them from food intolerance. Over the last several decades, the prevalence of food allergies has increased, especially life-threatening peanut allergy.
Diagnostic challenges include the many false negative and positive results from skin prick testing and blood testing for allergen-specific IgE, and the costs and risks for oral food challenge (OFC). Oral food challenge, specifically a double-blind, placebo-controlled oral food challenge (DBPCOFC) is the “gold standard” for the diagnosis of food allergy.
Dr. Gelfand reviews the results of a study performed at National Jewish Health where blood tests to recombinant peanut Ara h 2 and to crude peanut extract were compared in light of the clinical DBPCOFC.
Learning Objectives:
- To understand the differences between clinical food allergy and food intolerance.
- To understand the approaches to the diagnosis of food allergy.
- To compare the pros and cons of skin prick and blood testing to food allergens.
- To recognize the importance of recombinant allergens in the diagnosis of food allergy.
Dr. Erwin Gelfand. Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics at National Jewish Health and Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics and Immunology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine
Speaker:
Dr. Erwin Gelfand, MD
Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics at National Jewish Health and Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics and Immunology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine
Dr. Gelfand is a clinical immunologist, board-certified in Pediatrics and Allergy and Immunology specializing in allergic and immunologic diseases. Dr. Gelfand’s medical interests include immune system-related issues, including immune deficiency, asthma, food allergy, and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Currently. Dr. Gelfand is Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics at National Jewish Health and Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics and Immunology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He was Chairman of Pediatrics at National Jewish Health and vice-chairman of Pediatrics in the Medical School for 30 years. He has published more than 800 papers.