Food Allergies and Intolerance |
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Leben mit Nahrungsmittel-Allergie |
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Carlos BLANCO
Sección de Alergia, Hospital de Gran Canaria Dr. Negrín,
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
SUMMARY |
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During the last decade, latex IgE-mediated
allergy has been recognized as a very important medical problem. At the
same time, many studies have dealt with allergic cross-reactions between
aeroallergens and foods. Recently, a "latex-fruit syndrome" has been postulated,
because there is clear evidence of the existence of a significant clinical
association between allergies to latex and certain fruits.
Several studies have demonstrated that from 20% to 60% of latex-allergic patients show IgE-mediated reactions to a wide variety of foods, mainly fruits. Although implicated foods vary among the studies, banana, avocado, chestnut and kiwi are the most frequently involved. Clinical manifestations of these reactions may vary from oral allergy syndrome to severe anaphylactic reactions, which are not uncommon, thus demonstrating the clinical relevance of this syndrome. The diagnosis of food hypersensitivities associated with latex allergy is based on the clinical history of immediate adverse reactions, suggestive of an IgE-mediated sensitivity. Prick by prick test with the fresh foods implicated in the reactions shows an 80% concordance with the clinical diagnosis, and therefore it seems to be the best diagnostic test currently available in order to confirm the suspicion of latex-fruit allergy. Once the diagnosis is achieved, a diet free of the offending fruits is mandatory. Recently, some of the common allergens responsible for the cross-reactions among latex and the fruits most commonly implicated in the syndrome have been identified. Class I chitinases, with an N-terminal hevein like domain, which cross-react with the major latex allergen "hevein", seem to be the panallergens responsible for the latex-fruit syndrome. |
latex allergy food allergy cross-reactivity latex-fruit syndrome class I chitinases |
[Introduction] [Postulation of the Latex-Fruit Syndrome] [Other Countries] [The Other Point of View] [Involved Allergens] [Diagnosis] [Management] [Final Remarks] [References]
Carlos Blanco |
Correspondence:
Carlos Blanco, MD, PhD Sección de Alergia, Hospital de G.C. Dr. Negrín Bco. de la Ballena s/n 35020 Las Palmas de G.C., Spain Phone: + 34-928-449149
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home: www.food-allergens.de |