Severity assessment of food allergies according to DEFASE criteria in the German healthcare system (d-DEFASE)
Summary Background There is currently no standardized evaluation system in Germany for defining and classifying the severity of IgE-mediated food allergies (FA). Following the development of the international classification system named DEFASE (Definition of Food Allergy Severity), this evaluation system is now also being introduced in Germany and its applicability in the German healthcare system is being tested. Methods An international consensus was reached on DEFASE through a two-stage process (systematic literature review followed by an e‑Delphi). Conclusion The DEFASE score is the first comprehensive classification of the severity of a FA that takes into account not only the severity of an individual reaction, but the entire scenario of the disease, including the clinical features alongside patient’s reported outcomes and economic burden. It is important that an international consensus has been reached on a scoring system for FA, which can now also be used in Germany as d‑DEFASE. The scoring system is currently tested in research projects to be introduced soon into clinical practice, targeting these models to various food allergenic sources, populations, and settings.
Authors
- Katharina Blümchen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5129-852X)
- Philippe Eigenmann
- Friederike Bärhold (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-8812-916X)
- Katja Nemat (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4688-8872)
- Alessandro Fiocchi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2549-0523)
- Ingrid Casper (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4596-8416)
- Michael Gerstlauer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5094-0664)
- Randolf Brehler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8549-5898)
- Stefania Arasi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8135-0568)
- Lars Lange (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1104-5848)
- Jan Hagemann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9846-7850)
- Christian Vogelberg (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4881-8368)
- Ludger Klimek
- Stefani Röseler
- مريم حسن الخليفة
Institutions
- Goethe University Frankfurt (DE)
- University Hospital Augsburg (DE)
- St. Marien-Hospital Bonn (DE)
- University Hospital Münster (DE)
- University Hospital of Geneva (CH)
- Zentrum für Rhinologie und Allergologie (DE)
- Universitätsklinikum Aachen (DE)
- Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital (IT)
- University Hospital Frankfurt (DE)
- Center for Systems Biology Dresden (DE)
- University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Allergo Journal International
- Published
- 2025-06-19
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s40629-025-00334-y
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.62
Funders
- Technische Universität Dresden