Natural rubber latex and chestnut allergy: cross-reactivity or co-sensitization?

Full Abstract

BACKGROUND: Chestnut and natural rubber latex (NRL) allergy are often associated in the latex-fruit syndrome. AIM OF THE STUDY: To establish whether the concurrent NRL and chestnut IgE antibody reactivity are the results of co-sensitization or cross-reactivity. METHODS: Sera from 19 patients with chestnut- and NRL-specific IgE were selected and tested for reactivity with recombinant (r) latex allergens. Cross-reactivity was explored by IgE-inhibition experiments using chestnut or NRL allergens as solid phase on ImmunoCAP. RESULTS: IgE-antibodies were detected to rHev b 6.01 (prohevein) in 58% of the sera, to rHev b 5 in 32%, to rHev b 12 in four of 13 sera, to rHev b 7.02 and rHev b 11 in four, and to rHev b 1 in two of 19 sera. rHev b 8-IgE antibodies were found in nine sera (47%), whereas six displayed mono-sensitization to rHev b 8 with regard to our test panel. Three of 16 sera showed IgE to cross-reactive carbohydrate determinants. In most sera recognizing rHev b 5 and/or rHev b 6.01 as major allergens the IgE-reactivity to NRL remained unaffected by chestnut extract and chestnut-IgE remained unaffected by NRL extract. Conversely, in sera with rHev b 8 as dominant allergen IgE-binding to NRL was nearly completely inhibited by chestnut and vice versa. IgE-binding to rHev b 8 was abolished by chestnut extract. CONCLUSIONS: Although patients have concomitant IgE antibody reactivity to chestnut and NRL, cross-reactivity could be demonstrated mainly in those patients with IgE to Hev b 8 (profilin) from NRL.

Author information

Author/s: Raulf-Heimsoth, M (M); Kespohl, S (S); Crespo, J F (JF); Rodriguez, J (J); Feliu, A (A); Brüning, Th (T); Rihs, H P (HP);

Affiliation: Research Institute of Occupational Medicine of the Berufsgenossenschaften (BGFA), Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Allergy (Allergy), published in Denmark. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Nov; vol 62 (issue 11) : pp 1277-81

Dates: Created 2007/10/08; Completed 2008/01/29;

PMID: 17919142, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

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