Pollen allergy in peach-allergic patients: sensitization and cross-reactivity to taxonomically unrelated pollens.
BACKGROUND
Fruit allergy has been attributed to cross-reactive IgE to pollens and has been associated with a particular pollen sensitization.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to evaluate sensitization to several taxonomically unrelated pollens in peach- and pollen-allergic patients and to study cross-reactivity between them.


METHODS
One hundred sixty-five patients were evaluated: 70 peach- allergic patients together with 95 pollen-allergic patients (control group). Pollen skin tests in duplicate were performed to 5 grasses, 8 trees, and 7 weeds. Cross-reactivity between peach and taxonomically diverse pollens was determined by radioallergosorbent inhibition and Western blot inhibition tests. Experiments were also carried out after preadsorption of the sera with purified natural profilin.


RESULTS
The skin test results revealed that peach-allergic patients frequently reacted to most pollens-grasses, weeds, and trees-even when some of these are not found in our geographic area. There was a statistically significant increase in sensitization frequency to most trees and weeds, with a statistically higher occurrence of asthma (odds ratio 2.98, 95% confidence interval 1.46-6.09). Inhibition test results provided evidence that taxonomically unrelated grasses, weeds, and trees produced various and substantial degrees of inhibition in specific IgE to peach and that the peach extract elicited strong inhibitions to those pollens. Profilin was found to be a relevant cross-reactive antigen in these patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study provide evidence that peach allergy is linked to sensitization to several taxonomically unrelated pollens. This is attributable to the ubiquitous nature of the IgE binding determinants-such as profilins-between peach and taxonomically unrelated pollens.
Cuesta-Herranz
J
J
Allergy Department, Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Lázaro
M
M
Martínez
A
A
Figueredo
E
E
Palacios
R
R
de-Las-Heras
M
M
Martínez
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003429:Cross Reactions; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D005638:Fruit / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011058:Pollen / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D011852:Radioallergosorbent Test; D012882:Skin Tests