Interactions between food antigens and the immune system in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal diseases.

This review details the evidence that interactions between food antigens and the immune system may play a role in the pathogenesis of several gastrointestinal diseases. In immediate hypersensitivity reactions to foods involving the gastrointestinal system, in milk-induced gastrointestinal disease in infants and children, and in some forms of hypereosinophilic gastroenteritis, the evidence for the participation of food antigens is extensive. Gluten-induced enteropathy and some forms of dermatitis herpetiformis are also induced by defined food proteins where the response is specific and characteristic. The role of food antigens in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease is unclear, and warrants further studies.