Abstract | BACKGROUND: We recently described patients with soybean allergy mainly mediated by cross-reactivity to birch pollen allergens. A majority of those patients were reported to have peanut allergy. OBJECTIVE: We sought to study the occurrence of peanut allergy in patients allergic to birch pollen and characterized the Bet v 1-homologous peanut allergen Ara h 8. METHODS: Recombinant Ara h 8 was cloned with degenerated primers and expressed in Escherichia coli. Nine Swiss and 11 Dutch patients with peanut and birch pollen allergy and a positive double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge result to peanut were investigated for IgE reactivity to birch pollen and purified peanut allergens and cross-reactivity between birch and peanut. Ara h 8 stability against digestion and roasting was assessed by means of RAST inhibition. The IgE cross-linking potency of Ara h 8 was tested on the basis of basophil histamine release. RESULTS: During double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge, all patients experienced symptoms in the oral cavity, progressing to more severe symptoms in 40% of patients. CAP-FEIA detected recombinant (r) Ara h 8-specific IgE in 85%. IgE binding to Ara h 8 was inhibited by Bet v 1 in peanut extract immunoblotting and in RAST inhibition. In EAST inhibition recombinant rAra h 8 inhibited IgE binding to peanut in 4 of 7 tested patient sera. Antipeanut response was dominated by Ara h 8 in 12 of 17 tested patients. Furthermore, our results demonstrate a low stability of Ara h 8 to roasting and no stability to gastric digestion. Basophil histamine release with rAra h 8 was more than 20% in 5 of 7 tested sera. CONCLUSIONS:
Peanut allergy might be mediated in a subgroup of our patients by means of cross-reaction of Bet v 1 with the homologous peanut allergen Ara h 8.
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Authors | Diana Mittag, Jaap Akkerdaas, Barbara K Ballmer-Weber, Lothar Vogel, Marjolein Wensing, Wolf-Meinhard Becker, Stef J Koppelman, André C Knulst, Arthur Helbling, Susan L Hefle, Ronald Van Ree, Stefan Vieths |
Journal | The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology
(J Allergy Clin Immunol)
Vol. 114
Issue 6
Pg. 1410-7
(Dec 2004)
ISSN: 0091-6749 [Print] United States |
PMID | 15577846
(Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.)
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Chemical References |
- Allergens
- Recombinant Proteins
- Immunoglobulin E
- Pepsin A
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Topics |
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Allergens
(immunology)
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Basophils
(metabolism)
- Betula
(immunology)
- Cross Reactions
- Double-Blind Method
- Female
- Histamine Release
- Humans
- Immunoglobulin E
(immunology)
- Male
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Peanut Hypersensitivity
(etiology)
- Pepsin A
(pharmacology)
- Pollen
(immunology)
- Recombinant Proteins
(immunology)
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