Food Allergies: Mechanisms, Biomarkers and Impact of Environmental Factors

Food allergy is a reproducible adverse immune reaction triggered by ingestion of certain food proteins, resulting from barrier dysfunction and immune dysregulation. Both IgE-dependent and IgE-independent pathways contribute to symptom development. Key environmental and intrinsic modulators include the composition of the gut microbiota, the period and route of allergen exposure, the inherent properties of food proteins, and technological processes applied during food production. The review addresses epidemiological trends in industrialized countries, elucidates mechanisms of oral tolerance in the intestinal immune system, and highlights biomarkers and immune pathways involved in both sensitization and elicitation phases of food allergy.