Interleukin 2 receptor-α expression after lymphocyte stimulation for non-IgE-mediated gastrointestinal food allergies

Dear Editor, Non-IgE-mediated gastrointestinal food allergies (non-IgE-GI-FAs) are often found in neonates and infants and are mainly caused by cow's milk (CM). Some cases show nonspecific symptoms, such as fever, poor sucking, and poor weight gain, but with minor gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. Additionally, approximately 10% of patients develop severe complications, such as mechanical ileus, perforation of the GI wall, shock, and developmental retardation, owing to delayed start of treatment. Oral food challenge (OFC) is necessary for definitive diagnosis, but may induce severe symptoms; accordingly, OFC should not be performed until patients are healthy enough, resulting in delayed diagnosis. The pathology of non-IgE-GI-FAs involves antigen-presenting cells, allergen-specific lymphocytes, and eosinophils, although the specific mechanisms are still unclear.