Previous studies have shown that as many as 3/4 of children with milk allergy can actually tolerate heated milk, even though they cannot tolerate other forms of milk!

At issue is the IgE antibodies. IgE antibodies are the intermediaries in the allergic reaction. Each type of IgE antibody tunes into a specific allergen, such as cow’s milk.

In turn, each allergen has epitopes which are sites on the molecule that interact with the immune system. It is the epitopes that IgE antibodies recognize and that stimulate allergic responses.

Research shows that the more epitopes that the IgE antibody recognizes, the more likely that the child cannot tolerate all forms of milk. It is this fact that researchers think might lead to a blood test to determine children who can consume heated milk safely.

Source: 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology