research

gastro & food allergy

summary

Working closely with the Department of Gastroenterology and Clinical Nutrition at the Royal Children's Hospital, our research group provides for the clinical care of children with a wide variety of gastrointestinal, liver and nutritional disorders, as well as common preventable gastrointestinal disorders and food allergy.  We also undertake both clinical and basic laboratory research into a range of conditions that directly affect the health of our patients.

Our researchers have a wide range of interests that span clinical and laboratory research, as well as public health in gastrointestinal function and disease.  Emerging research areas focus on the cause and treatment of Eosinophilic oesophagitis,  gastrointestinal food allergies, Crohn's disease, gastrointestinal motility and faecal incontinence, cystic fibrosis, pancreatitis and Hepatitis C.

The group consists of a wide variety of medical, nursing and allied health staff, which form a collaborative network both within the group and with other members of the institute and the wider scientific community.  We attract clinical fellows from around the world wishing to train in gastroenterology.

group leader(s)

Katie Allen 2011  A/Professor Katie Allen
  Theme Director Environment, Genes & Health
  Group leader Gastro & Food Allergy
  Royal Children's Hospital
  Flemington Road
  Parkville
  Victoria, 3052

  T +61 3 9345 5060
  F +61 3 9345 6240
  E katie.allen@mcri.edu.au

   group leader biography

current research projects

Project 1: Assessing the efficacy of elimination diets in the treatment of Eosinophilic oesophagitis -  The 4-FEED project (four food elimination for EoE diet)

Eosinophilic oesophagitis is a recently recognised condition in children and currently there are major knowledge deficits in optimal management. Patients have poor prognostic outlooks with less than 1% of untreated children with eosinophilic oesophagitis entering into long-term disease remission.

Multiple-food elimination diets are currently a common clinical approach in the treatment of children with eosinophilic oesophagitis. This project will be the world's first randomised, controlled trial of a dietary intervention for the treatment of eosinophilic oesophagitis in children. This study will assess if the elimination of the four most common food allergens will induce disease remission. Patients from four paediatric gastroenterology units around Australia will be randomised to an 8-week trial of a four-food elimination diet and patients will then be assed for signs of remission. 

Project 2: Predictors of development, persistence and remission of sensitisation and food allergy in a prospective infant cohort

Childhood food allergy is a major public health problem and appears to be increasing in industrialised countries. Of particular concern is the risk of anaphylaxis, which, if poorly treated, can result in sudden death. Our data show levels of childhood food allergy are higher in Australia than any other country.
 
Our project aims to follow up a population-based cohort of 12 month old infants to determine factors that predict persistence and remission of food allergy in children. We will also identify factors that predict the development of other allergic manifestations including eczema, asthma and hayfever amongst food-allergic infants. The goal is to identify modifiable risk factors and thereby to improve public health guidelines.
 
Project 3: Food allergy, anaphylaxis and asthma in children and adolescents: the SchoolNuts study

Food allergy is a public health issue, emerging over the last 10-15 years as a "second wave" of the allergy epidemic, following behind the "first wave" of asthma, allergic rhinitis and inhalant sensitisation.

The SchoolNuts project is a population based study of food allergy in children and adolescents. We aim to investigate the prevalence of food allergy, the risk factors for the recent increases in food allergy and to explore knowledge of and attitudes toward food allergy in children and adolescents. Using a school-based recruitment methodology, 5000 students will be recruited and participate via questionnaires. A sub-cohort of children who self-report a food allergy will be invited to attend the Royal Children's Hospital for further allergy testing.

Project 4:  Studies of chronic hepatitis B virus infection in African children

An estimated 65 million people have chronic HBV infection in Africa, mostly contracted in early childhood. Immigrants and refugees to Australia from highly endemic areas are contributing to an increasing local prevalence of this infection and it's complications.

This project will investigate the natural history of chronic HBV infection in African children living in Australia from clinical, biochemical and serologic aspects. This study has global significance and will provide much needed information on the natural history and immunological response to chronic HBV infection in children.

team members

  • George Alex - RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
  • Deborah Anderson - Research Assistant
  • Nadine Bertalli - Research Assistant
  • Lucinda Brown - PhD Student (UoM Paeds)
  • Mirjam Bueno Do Mesquita - RESEARCH AFFILIATE
  • Maria Bufalino - RESEARCH AFFILIATE
  • Don Cameron - RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
  • Tony Catto-Smith - HONORARY FELLOW
  • Lyn Crellin - RESEARCH AFFILIATE
  • Helen Czech - Research Assistant
  • Thanh Dang - PhD Student (UoM Paeds)
  • Shyamali Dharmage - HONORARY FELLOW
  • Jana Eckert - RESEARCH ASSISTANT
  • Justine Ellis - Senior Research Fellow
  • Alice Goldsmith - Honours (MBBS)Student (NotreDame Med)
  • Lyle Gurrin - HONORARY FELLOW
  • Olivia Hamilton - RESEARCH ASSISTANT
  • Winita Hardikar - RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
  • Shaun Ho - Research Associate
  • Nicholas Kiraly - Occupational Trainee
  • Jennifer Koplin - Research Officer
  • Pamela Martin - PhD Student
  • Jan Mcgowan - PERSONAL ASSISTANT
  • Rima Mograby - PhD Student (UoM Paeds)
  • Mark Oliver - RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
  • Nicholas Osborne - HONORARY FELLOW
  • Rachel Peters - PhD Student (UoM Paeds)
  • Marnie Robinson - VISITORS & VOLUNTEERS
  • Jeeva Sanjeevan - Research Assistant
  • Di Simpson - RESEARCH AFFLIATE
  • Noor Suaini - Honours Student (UoM Paeds)
  • Tina Tan - PhD Student (UoM Paeds)
  • Dean Tey - Research Assistant
  • Pushba Thangaraju - Volunteer
  • Leone Thiele - Research Co-ordinator
  • Kaye Trembath - Research Assistant
  • Annette Webb - RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
  • Giovanni Zurzolo - PhD Student (VUT Biomed&HlthSci)

publications

  • Allen KJ. Food allergy: is there a rising prevalence and if so why?. MEDICAL JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIA 195 (1) : 5 - 7(2011) PubMed
  • Allen KJ., Heine RG. Eosinophilic Esophagitis Trials and Tribulations. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL GASTROENTEROLOGY 45 (7) : 574 - 582(2011) PubMed
  • Allen KJ., Koplin JJ. The Epidemiology of IgE-Mediated Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis. IMMUNOLOGY AND ALLERGY CLINICS OF NORTH AMERICA (2011) PubMed
  • Allen KJ., O'Hehir RE. The evolution of oral immunotherapy for the treatment of peanut allergy. CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY 41 (9) : 1172 - 1174(2011) PubMed
  • Bertalli NA., Allen KJ., McLaren CE., Turkovic L., Osborne NJ., Constantine CC., Delatycki MB., English DR., Giles GG., Hopper JL., Anderson GJ., Olynyk JK., Powell LW., Gurrin LC., HealthIron Study Investigators. A comparison of self-reported and record-linked blood donation history in an Australian cohort. Transfusion 51 (10) : 2189 - 2198(2011) PubMed
  • Chen J., Hu Y., Allen KJ., Ho MHK., Li HQ. The prevalence of food allergy in infants in Chongqing, China. PEDIATRIC ALLERGY AND IMMUNOLOGY 22 (4) : 356 - 360(2011) PubMed
  • Crawford NW., Catto-Smith AG., Oliver MR., Cameron DJS., Buttery JP. An australian audit of vaccination status in children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease. BMC Gastroenterology 11 (87) (2011) PubMed
  • Dharmage SC., Allen KJ. Does regular paracetamol ingestion increase the risk of developing asthma?. CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY 41 (4) : 459 - 460(2011) PubMed
  • Haller W., Buttery J., Laurie K., Beyerle K., Hardikar W., Alex G. Immune Response to Pandemic H1N1 2009 Influenza A Vaccination in Pediatric Liver Transplant Recipients. LIVER TRANSPLANTATION 17 (8) : 914 - 920(2011) PubMed
  • Heine RG., Nethercote M., Rosenbaum J., Allen KJ. Emerging management concepts for eosinophilic esophagitis in children. JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY 26 (7) : 1106 - 1113(2011) PubMed
  • Koplin JJ., Martin PE., Allen KJ. An update on epidemiology of anaphylaxis in children and adults. CURRENT OPINION IN ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY 11 (5) : 492 - 496(2011) PubMed
  • Koplin JJ., Tang ML., Martin PE., Osborne NJ., Lowe AJ., Ponsonby AL., Robinson MN., Tey D., Thiele L., Hill DJ., Gurrin LC., Wake M., Dharmage SC., Allen KJ., HealthNuts investigators. Predetermined challenge eligibility and cessation criteria for oral food challenges in the HealthNuts population-based study of infants. JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY (2011) PubMed
  • Lodge CJ., Lowe AJ., Gurrin LC., Hill DJ., Hosking CS., Khalafzai RU., Hopper JL., Matheson MC., Abramson MJ., Allen KJ., Dharmage SC. House dust mite sensitization in toddlers predicts current wheeze at age 12 years. JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY 128 (4) : 782 - 788(2011) PubMed
  • Lowe AJ., Hosking CS., Bennett CM., Allen KJ., Axelrad C., Carlin JB., Abramson MJ., Dharmage SC., Hill DJ. Effect of a partially hydrolyzed whey infant formula at weaning on risk of allergic disease in high-risk children: A randomized controlled trial. JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY 128 (2) : 360 - 365(2011) PubMed
  • Martin PE., Matheson MC., Gurrin L., Burgess JA., Osborne N., Lowe AJ., Morrison S., Meszaros D., Giles GG., Abramson MJ., Walters EH., Allen KJ., Dharmage SC. Childhood eczema and rhinitis predict atopic but not nonatopic adult asthma: A prospective cohort study over 4 decades. JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY 127 (6) : 1473 (2011) PubMed
  • Osborne NJ., Koplin JJ., Martin PE., Gurrin LC., Lowe AJ., Matheson MC., Ponsonby AL., Wake M., Tang MLK., Dharmage SC., Allen KJ. Prevalence of challenge-proven IgE-mediated food allergy using population-based sampling and predetermined challenge criteria in infants. JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY 127 (3) : 668 (2011) PubMed
  • Parbhoo DM., Tiedemann K., Catto-Smith AG. Clinical Outcome after Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy in Children With Malignancies. PEDIATRIC BLOOD & CANCER 56 (7) : 1146 - 1148(2011) PubMed
  • Peters RL., Gurrin LC., Allen KJ. The predictive value of skin prick testing for challenge-proven food allergy: A systematic review. PEDIATRIC ALLERGY AND IMMUNOLOGY (2011) PubMed
  • Prescott S., Allen KJ. Food allergy: Riding the second wave of the allergy epidemic. PEDIATRIC ALLERGY AND IMMUNOLOGY 22 (2) : 155 - 160(2011) PubMed
  • Tan TH., Ellis JA., Saffery R., Allen KJ. The role of genetics and environment in the rise of childhood food allergy. CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY (2011) PubMed
  • Vuillermin P., Allen KJ. Diet in Infancy and Later Signs of Beta-Cell Autoimmunity. NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE 364 (9) : 879 - 879(2011) PubMed
  • Wagner J., Sim W., Bishop RF., Catto-Smith AG., Cameron DJS., Kirkwood CD. Mycobacterium avium Subspecies paratuberculosis in Children with Early-onset Crohn's Disease: A Longitudinal Follow-up Study. INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES 17 (8) : 1825 - 1826(2011) PubMed
  • Wang Y., Gurrin LC., Wluka AE., Bertalli NA., Osborne NJ., Delatycki MB., Giles GG., English DR., Hopper JL., Simpson JA., Graves S., Allen KJ., Cicuttini FM. HFE C282Y Homozygosity Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Total Hip Replacement for Osteoarthritis. Seminars in Arthritis and rhematism (2011)
  • Yik YI., Clarke MCC., Catto-Smith AG., Robertson VJ., Sutcliffe JR., Chase JW., Gibb S., Cain TM., Cook DJ., Tudball CF., Hutson JM., Southwell BR. Slow-transit constipation with concurrent upper gastrointestinal dysmotility and its response to transcutaneous electrical stimulation. PEDIATRIC SURGERY INTERNATIONAL 27 (7) : 705 - 711(2011) PubMed
  • Zacharin M., Bajpai A., Chow CW., Catto-Smith A., Stratakis C., Wong MW., Scott R. Gastrointestinal polyps in McCune Albright syndrome. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS 48 (7) : 458 - 461(2011) PubMed

competitive funding

National Health & Medical Research Council
United States Department of Defense

collaborations & affiliations

Centre for Molecular, Environmental, Genetic & Analytic Epidemiology at the University of Melbourne
The University of Western Australia
EuroPrevall
Queensland Institute of Medical Research
Asthma Foundation, Victoria