Allergen Data Collection - Update: Hen's Egg White (Gallus domesticus)
Internet Symposium on Food Allergens 2(1): 1-29 (2000) [http://www.food-allergens.de
1 Prevalence of Egg White Allergy
 
Country / Subjects Sensitivity to References
Australia, Melbourne
620 children at risk of atopy
egg 3.2% (SPT) Hill et al. 1999
Australia, Victoria
100 cow's milk allergic children
egg 58% (parent reported adverse reactions) Bishop et al. 1990
Denmark, Odense
39 cow's milk allergic infants
egg white 29% (adverse reactions) Host & Halken 1990
Estonia
251 allergic infants
egg white 3.6% (RAST) Julge et al. 1997
Finland, Oulu
57, 43, and 42 children with atopic dermatits
egg 64%, 16%, and 14% in patients < 1 year, 1-3 years, and 3-15 years of age (SPT) Hannuksela 1987
France
81 cases of anaphylactic shock to food
egg 11.6% Moneret-Vautrin & Kanny 1995
France
80 cases of food- related anaphylaxis (from 1993-97)
egg 8.8% (reported to CICBAA databank) European Commission 1998
France, Pierre Benite
a) 580 patients with adverse reactions to food
b) 60 cases of anaphylaxis (study period 1984-92)
a) egg 23%
b) egg 1.7%
Andre et al. 1994
France, Toulouse
142 food allergic children
egg white 53 % (Labial food challenge) Rance & Dutau 1997
Germany
790 children (general population)
egg 8.4% (RAST) Nickel et al. 1997
Germany
216 children (general population)
estimation based on 4082 children
egg 6% to 4% (at 1 to 6 years of age) (RAST) Kulig et al. 1999
Germany
1235 unselected preschool children (5-6 years)
egg 2.8% (SPT) Schafer et al. 1999
Italy
134 patients with atopic dermatitis 
egg 28% (RAST) Bonifazi et al. 1978
Italy, Florence
54 episodes of food-dependent anaphylaxis in 44 children (age of 1 month to 16 years) (from 1994-1996)
egg 11% Novembre et al. 1998
Italy, Rome
371 children with food allergy
egg 46% (RAST) Giampietro et al. 1992
Iceland, Reykjavik
502 unselected adults
egg 0.4% (RAST) Gislason et al. 1999
Japan, Kyoto
55 infants with atopic dermatitis
egg white  91% (SPT) Kusunoki et al. 1998
Japan, Okinawa
127 atopic patients
egg white 12% (MAST) Kosugi et al. 1992
Netherlands
131 cases of food- induced anaphylaxis
(from 1993-1997)
egg 7.6% (survey, reported to the TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institute) European Commission 1998
Netherlands, Rotterdam
91 patients with atopic dermatitis
egg 72% (SAFT) Oranje et al. 1992
Spain, Madrid
355 food allergic children
egg white 34% (SPT, RAST) Crespo et al. 1995
Spain, Pamplona
74 patients with atopic dermatitis
egg 35% (SPT, RAST, Histamine Release) Resano et al. 1998
Sweden
a) 61 cases and b) 55 cases
of food- induced anaphylaxis (from 1994-1996)
a) egg 10% (reported to the National Food Administration)
b) egg 3.6% (Hospital Reports)
European Commission 1998
Sweden, Uppsala
414 unselected adults
egg 0.2% (RAST) Gislason et al. 1999
Switzerland, Zurich
402 food allergic adults
egg white 12% (case history, SPT, RAST) Wüthrich 1993
Switzerland, Zurich
383 food allergic patients (study period 1990-94)
egg 5.7% (case history, SPT, RAST) Etesamifar & Wüthrich 1998
Thailand
100 asthmatic children
egg white 1% (SPT) Kongpanichkul et al. 1997
UK, London
100 patients with food intolerance
egg 40% (repeated challenge) Lessof et al. 1980
UK, Manchester
172 patients expierenced anaphylactic reactions to foods (from 1994-1996)
egg 2.3% (suspected cause of patients' worst reaction) Pumphrey & Stanworth 1996
USA, Baltimore, MD
196 food allergic children
egg 73% (DBPCFC, RAST) Sampson & Ho 1997
USA, Denver, CO
180 food allergic children
egg 26% (DBPCFC) Bock & Atkins 1990
USA, Little Rock
165 patients with atopic dermatitis
egg 35% (SPT), from which 33/56 were DBPCFC-positive Burks et al. 1998

2 Outgrowing of Egg White Allergy
 
Country / Subjects Loss of Sensitivity to References
Germany
Children at risk (subgroup of 216 children of the general population)
Annual Incidence of sensitization to egg decreased from 6% at 1 year of age to <1% at 6 years of age (RAST) Kulig et al. 1999
USA
Food allergic patients 
soy, egg, milk, wheat, and peanut:
26% loss (after 1 year of onset, DBPCFC)
Sampson & Scanlon 1989

3 Symptoms of Egg White Allergy
 
Symptoms & Case Reports References
systemic reactions
anaphylaxis (1, 7, 8, 9, 11), fatal reactions (7)

cutaneous symptoms
angioedema (1, 12), atopic dermatitis (2, 9, 10, 11, 13), eczema (1, 3, 12, 15), erythema (11), urticaria (1, 2, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)

gastrointestinal symptoms
abdominal pain (12), diarrhea (1, 11), flare (1), oral allergy syndrome (4), vomiting (1, 2, 3, 4, 11), in general (1)

respiratory symptoms
allergic rhinitis (2, 9), asthma (2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13), cough (13), dyspnea (1), hoarseness (1), laryngeal edema (2), wheeze (1, 11, 13)

other symptoms
convulsion (3), cyanosis (14), hypotonia (14)

(1) Hoffmann 1983
(2) Langeland 1983a, 1983b, 1985
(3) Anet et al. 1985
(4) Clinton et al. 1986
(5) Bernstein et al. 1987
(6) Blanco-Carmona et al. 1992
(7) Sampson et al. 1992
(8) Yamada et al. 1993
(9) Bernhisel-Broadbent et al. 1994
(10) Reekers et al. 1996
(11) Urisu et al. 1997
(12) Patriarca et al. 1998
(13) Yamada et al. 1998
(14) Foucard & Malmheden Yman 1999
(15) Niggemann et al. 1999
Percentage of reactions
 
Symptoms / Ref. (1)  (2)  (3)  (4)  (5)  (6) 
Cutaneous     100% 87%   83%
Angio-oedema 14%          
Atopic dermatitis 48% 89%   100%    
Allergic rhinitis 14% 72%        
Urticaria 26%          
Gastrointestinal     37% 80%   45%
Vomiting 25%          
Respiratory     0% 42% 17% 14%
Asthma 26% 94%        
immediate         89% 82%
non-immediate         11% 16%
both           2%
No. of patients 84 18 19 92 104 62

(1),  (5) after egg ingestion / oral challenge
(3) children with egg allergy (without bird allergy)
(6) children
(1) Langeland 1983a
(2) Bernhisel-Broadbent et al. 1994
(3) Anibarro Bausela et al. 1997
(4) Sampson & Ho 1997
(5) Yamada et al. 1998
(6) Niggemann et al. 1999
Threshold of Ingestion
Amounts of whole egg inducing symptoms ranged from 50 mg to 50 g  (DBPCFC, egg allergic patients) (1)
(1) Norgaard & Bindslev-Jensen 1992

4 Diagnostic Features of Hen's Egg White Allergy
 
Parameters / Subjects Outcome References
SPT, IgE and Oral Challenge
11 egg allergic patients (1-15 years of age)
Sensitivities of tests in comparison with oral challenge test:
SPT 100%, RAST 85%, MAST 71%;
Specificities in comparison with oral challenge test:
RAST 50%, MAST 100%;
Match with oral challenge test:
SPT 63%, RAST 72%, MAST 81%, Case History 63%
Roger et al. 1994
SPT and DBPCFC
Children suspected of IgE-mediated symptoms to egg
Significant differences in wheal sizes between individuals who were allergic or tolerant to egg (P<0.001) Eigenmann & Sampson 1998
IgG and IgE
120 atopic children
IgG to egg white strongly associated with positive specific IgE in children with and without eczema Eysink et al. 1999
IgG Subclasses
96 children of general population (measured at birth, 6 and 18 months and 8 years by ELISA)
Ovalbumin specific subclasses:
IgG1 and IgG3 peaked at 18 months and declined up to 8 years of age; antibody levels not related to exposure to egg; positive SPT and IgE levels correlated with high IgG subclass levels; atopic symptoms associated particularly with high levels of IgG subclass  IgG4; difference in antibody levels between atopic and non- atopic children mostly marked at 6 months
Jenmalm & Bjorksten 1999
a) RAST and DBPCFC
b) SPT and DBPCFC
food-allergic children with atopic dermatitis
a) predictive values of specific IgE > 0.35 kU/L
positive preditive value 84% 
(>95% at IgE 6 kU/L)
negative preditive value 88%
b) predictive values of SPT ( > 3 mm)
positive preditive value 85%
negative preditive value 90%
Sampson & Ho 1997
IgE and DBPCFC
children with atopic dermatitis
a) Specific serum IgE in children with 
positive oral provocation: 6.4 kU/L
negative oral provocation: 1.4 kU/L
(Significance P<0.001)
b) predictive value of specific IgE > 0.35 kU/L
positive preditive value 79%
negative preditive value 75%
Niggemann et al. 1999
OM-digest specific IgE and DBPCFC
a) 18 children DBPCFC positive and b) 12 negative to egg white (all RAST positive)
No significant differences in specific IgE- binding to egg white, ovomucoid, ovalbumin, ovotransferrin, and lysozyme in a) and b);
IgE binding activity to ovomucoid digests (pepsin and trypsin) significantly higher in a) than in b)
Urisu et al. 1999
Predictive Value of IgE
1314 children (general population)
Hen's egg white specific IgE at age of 12 months is a valuable marker for sensitization (asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis) to common allergens at age of 3 years Nickel et al. 1997

5 Therapy of Hen's Egg White Allergy
 
Treatment* Outcome References
Oral Desentization
5 egg allergic patients
A diluted food extract followed by increased pure food was administered following a standardized protocol, at the beginning pretreatment with oral sodium cromoglycate, length of therapy 4 to 5 months, after therapy egg was tolerated (maintenance dose: 2-3 eggs / week) Patriarca et al. 1998
Treatment with DSCG
5 egg allergic children
Food challenge before and after a seven- day pre- treatment period with oral sodium chromoglycate: Full protection in 4 children Businco et al. 1983
* Studies may be experimental, unproved, or controversial. Please notice the disclaimer !

6 Composition of Hen's Egg White
 

7 Allergens of Hen's Egg White
 
Proteins / Glycoproteins Allergen Nomenclature References
Ovomucoid [28 kDa] Gal d 1 Langeland T (1982b)
Ovalbumin [44 kDa] Gal d 2 Langeland T (1982b)
Ovotransferrin [77 kDa] Gal d 3 Langeland & Harbitz (1983)
Lysozyme [14 kDa] Gal d 4 Hoffman 1983
Ovomucin  none Walsh et al. 1988

7.1 Sensitization to Egg White Allergens
 
Country / Subjects Sensitivity to References
Austria, Vienna
13 patients with egg white allergy
40-45 kDa allergen 100%
35 kDa allergen 76%
70 kDa allergen 61%
Szepfalusi et al. 1994
Denmark
32 adults with suspected egg allergy
ovomucoid 34%
ovalbumin 9%
ovotransferrin 22%
lysozyme 6%
(dot-immunoblot)
Djurtoft et al. 1991
Denmark
34 egg allergic adults
ovomucoid 38%
ovalbumin 32%
ovotransferrin 53%
lysozyme 15%
(SDS-PAGE / immunoblot)
Aabin et al. 1996
France, Nancy
52 egg allergic patients
lysozyme 35% (RAST) Fremont et al. 1997
Germany, Hamburg
33 egg allergic patients
ovomucoid 36%
ovalbumin 30%
(SDS-PAGE / immunoblot)
Besler et al. 1997
Japan
39 egg allergic patients
lysozyme 67% (RAST) Yamada et al. 1993
Japan, Toyoake
72 egg allergic patients
decreasing specific serum IgE against OM>OA>>OT>LY (RAST) Urisu et al. 1997
Norway, Oslo
68 egg allergic patients
ovomucoid 69%
ovalbumin 100%
ovotransferrin 54%
(CRIE)
Langeland 1982b, 1983b
USA, Baltimore, MD
18 egg allergic children
ovomucoid 89%
ovalbumin 78%
lysozyme 61%
(skin prick test)
Bernhisel-Broadbent et al. 1994
USA, Baltimore, MD
egg allergic children: 
a) 10 persistent allergy 
b) 11 developed clinical tolerance
ovomucoid:
a) 44.5 ng/ml b) 3.5 ng/ml
ovalbumin:
a) 1.6 ng/ml b) 1.5 ng/ml
(specific serum-IgE)
Bernhisel-Broadbent et al. 1994
USA, NC
33 egg allergic patients
ovomucoid 97%
ovalbumin 100%
ovotransferrin 94%
lysozyme 69%
(RAST)
Hoffmann 1983

7.2 Properties of Ovomucoid
7.3 Properties of Ovalbumin
7.4 Properties of Ovotransferrin
7.5 Properties of Lysozyme

8 Isolation & Preparation
 
Extract / Purified Allergens Methods References
ovomucoid, ovalbumin, lysozyme IEC-HPLC Bernhisel-Broadbent et al. 1994
ovomucoid, ovalbumin, ovotransferrin, lysozyme IEC / SEC Awade et al. 1994
Ebbehoj et al. 1995
ovomucoid, ovalbumin, ovotransferrin, lysozyme capillary electrophoresis Besler et al. 1998
egg white / yolk proteins review: liquid chromatography applications Awade 1996


9 Cross-Reactivities
 
Cross-Reacting Allergens to Subjects / Methods References
Egg White
egg yolk, chicken serum, chicken meat
egg allergic patients (quantitative immunoelectrophoresis) Langeland 1983c
Egg White
egg yolk
6 egg allergic patients (RAST inhibition) Anet et al. 1985
Ovalbumin
ovomucoid, ovotransferrin, lysozyme
6 egg allergic patients (RAST inhibition) Walsh et al. 1987
Ovalbumin
apovitellenin I (egg yolk)
4 egg allergic patients (RAST inhibition) Walsh et al. 1987
Lysozyme
alpha-lactalbumin (cow's milk)
6 egg allergic patients (RAST inhibition) Walsh et al. 1987

10 Stability of Egg White Allergens
 
Treatment Effects References
Egg White
hard-boiled (100°C, 20 min)
soft-boiled (100°C, 3 min)
some antigenicity retained,
ovalbumin and ovomucoid were detectable (RIEP)
Hoffmann 1983
Egg White
diluted and heated (90°C, 10 min)
significantly decreased RAST for 50% of 16 egg allergic patients Anet et al. 1985
Egg White
9 household cleaning solutions and 5 chemical detergents mixed with egg white allergen extract, incubation for 20 min at RT
Soft soap and sodium lauryl sulphate reduced IgE- binding to allergens; none of the detergents totally destroyed the allergenic activities, even in concentrations up to 10 times of recommended (CIE, CRIE, serum pool of  >5 patients) Dybendal et al. 1990
Dried Whole Egg
(1) heat (120°C, 40 min)
(2) succinic anhydride, sodium hydroxide and heat
(1) no significant decrease in antigenicity
(2) decreased antigenicity (1/1000)
(ELISA/RAST inhibition, PCA)
Hisatomi et al. 1991
Egg White
(1) heat (90°C, 60 min)
(2) ovomucoid-depletion of heated egg white
(1) 55% negative challenge in patients with positive challenge to freeze-dried egg white 
(2) 94% negative challenge in patients with positive challenge to heated egg white (DBPCFC)
Urisu et al. 1997
Egg White
boiling (for 5 or 60 min)
Specific IgE, IgG1 and IgG antibody responses in ovalbumin- sensitized mice suppressed by raw egg white, not suppressed by boiled egg white fed prior to sensitization; mice spleen cell proliferation and secretion of Th2 cytokines IL-4 and IL-5 by stimulation with ovalbumin suppressed by feeding raw egg white, but not by boiled egg white Peng et al. 1998
Pork Meat Pastes
containing 2% dry egg white powder
(1) raw pastes
(2) pasteurized (70°C, 2 h)
(3) sterilized (115°C, 90 min)
Detection of egg white allergens by patients' sera in (1) and (2), but not in sterilized paste (3) (EAST: 3 patients, IEF-PAGE immunoblot: 2 patients) Leduc et al. 1999
of ovalbumin, ovomucoid    

11 Allergen Sources
 
Reported Adverse Reactions References
Food
egg in hamburger roll (1)
egg in meatballs containing 0.14% and 0.16% ovalbumin, in pasta containing 0.003-0.013% ovalbumin (2)
lysozyme: unlabeled additive in cheese preparation (3)
(1) Sampson et al. 1992
(2) Malmheden Yman et al. 1994
(3) Fremont et al. 1997
Vaccines
egg white: influenza virus vaccine (1, 4)
egg white: influenza A/New Jersey/76 virus vaccines (2)
ovalbumin / egg white: measles vaccine (3, 6)
egg white: measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (5, 7)
(1) Davies & Pepys 1976
(2) Bell et al. 1977
(3) Herman et al. 1983
(4) Yamane et al. 1988
(5) Levine & Lavi 1991
(6) Aickin et al. 1994
(7) Levy et al. 1994
Other Pharmaceuticals
lysozyme / egg white: vaginal suppository (1)
(1) Pichler & Campi 1993

 
Allergens in Food Products Content / Products References
Fat Substitutes
13 (16) egg and/or cow's milk allergic patients
Allergenicity of microparticulated egg and cow's milk proteins in fat substitues (Simplesse, Beta IL): No alteration of allergenic potencies in SDS-PAGE immunoblot  (1) Sampson & Cooke 1990
(2) Sampson & Cooke 1992
Ovomucoid in Egg Yolk
Determination by ELISA and immunoblot
Heat-coagulated egg yolk  (boiled egg, 15 min): 
Ovomucoid  4.8 +/- 0.8 µg/g, content increased up to 78.8 +/- 31.3 µg/g after standing of boiled egg for 120 min; not detectable in raw egg yolk
Sakai et al. 1998
Egg White Preparations
2 egg white allergic patients (IEF-PAGE immunoblot)
IgE-binding proteins in
pasteurized egg white powder, frozen and pasteurized egg white, liquid pasteurized egg white and pork meat pastes containing 2% dry powder
Leduc et al. 1999

 

12 References

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