Natural rubber latex and chestnut allergy: cross-reactivity or co-sensitization?
BACKGROUND
Chestnut and natural rubber latex (NRL) allergy are often associated in the latex-fruit syndrome.


OBJECTIVE
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.
Raulf-Heimsoth
M
M
Research Institute of Occupational Medicine of the Berufsgenossenschaften (BGFA), Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Kespohl
S
S
Crespo
J F
JF
Rodriguez
J
J
Feliu
A
A
Brüning
Th
T
Rihs
H P
HP
D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D003429:Cross Reactions; D029962:Fagaceae / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000276:immunology; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D007840:Latex / Q000276:immunology*; D020315:Latex Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D009754:Nuts / Q000276:immunology; D051304:Profilins / Q000276:immunology
D000485:Allergens; D007840:Latex; D051304:Profilins; D007073:Immunoglobulin E