T-cell mediated immunity in food allergy.

There are many T-cells within the intestinal mucosa, and histopathology, applied to biopsies of intestinal mucosa taken before and after food reintroduction, provides information on possible cell-mediated immunity to foods within the gut. Food sensitive enteropathies occur in man and in domestic animals, particularly in the young. Our hypothesis is that these are related to a relative deficiency of suppressor T-cells. There is no evidence that T-cell-mediated immunity to foods plays a part in severe atopic eczema, even in patients with clinical evidence of associated food allergy and high titres of IgE antibodies to foods.