Pathogenesis of food allergy in the pediatric patient.

In the US and other developed countries, food allergy is a growing epidemic in pediatric populations with a substantial impact on health-related quality of life. As such, there are great efforts underway to unravel the mechanisms of oral mucosal tolerance and to better define the factors related to host and allergen exposure that contribute to the aberrant immune response leading to sensitization and clinical food allergy. Although more research is needed to eventually develop targeted treatment and prevention strategies, this review highlights our current understanding of the pathogenesis of IgE-mediated food allergy.