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Patterns of Reactivity to Lipid Transfer Proteins of Plant Foods and <i>Artemisia</i> Pollen: An in vivo Study

2002; Karger Publishers; Volume: 128; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1159/000059401

1423-0097

F J García-Sellés, Araceli Díaz‐Perales, Rosa Sánchez‐Monge, Manuel Alcántara Villar, M. Lombardero, Domingo Barber, Gabriel Salcedo, Montserrat Fernández‐Rivas,

Allergic Rhinitis and Sensitization

<i>Background:</i> Lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) are major allergens of Rosaceae fruits in the Mediterranean area. IgE-cross-reactivity has been demonstrated in vitro among LTPs from peach, apple, chestnut and <i>Artemisia</i> pollen. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reactivity to LTPs from peach, apple, chestnut and <i>Artemisia</i> pollen by means of skin prick tests (SPTs). <i>Methods:</i> Forty-seven patients allergic to peach (peach group), 20 patients sensitized to <i>Artemisia</i> pollen with no food allergies (<i>Artemisia</i> group), and 12 control subjects were skin tested with fresh peach, as well as with whole extracts and purified LTPs of peach, apple, chestnut and <i>Artemisia</i> pollen. <i>Results:</i> The rates of positive SPTs for peach, apple, chestnut and <i>Artemisia</i> LTPs were, respectively, 91, 77, 23, and 36% in the peach group, and 30, 5, 15 and 40% in the <i>Artemisia</i> group. No response was observed in the control subjects. SPTs with peach LTP strongly correlated with SPTs conducted with fresh peach. In the peach group, the most frequent pattern of reactivity to LTPs was the combination peach-apple (45%), followed by peach-apple-<i>Artemisia</i>-chestnut (21%). Significant correlations were found between peach and apple LTPs, and between <i>Artemisia</i> and chestnut LTPs. Positive SPTs to chestnut LTP were only observed in patients with positive SPTs to <i>Artemisia</i> LTP. All the patients with positive case histories to chestnut reacted to chestnut LTP. <i>Conclusions:</i> LTPs are plant panallergens with different patterns of cross-reactivity. They are major allergens of Rosaceae fruits and seem to be involved in allergic reactions to unrelated foodstuffs such as chestnut, probably through sensitization to the cross-reactive <i>Artemisia</i> LTP. Rosaceae LTPs could be useful tools for in vivo diagnosis of Rosaceae fruit allergy.