title: The role of lipid transfer proteins in allergic diseases.
abstract: Nonspecific lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) are important allergens in fruits, vegetables, nuts, pollen, and latex. Despite their wide distribution throughout the plant kingdom, their clinical relevance is largely confined to the Mediterranean area. As they can sensitize via the gastrointestinal tract, LPTs are considered true food allergens, and IgE reactivity to LTPs is often associated with severe systemic symptoms. Although Pru p 3 represents the predominant LTP in terms of patients' IgE recognition, the contribution of pollen LTPs in primary sensitization cannot be ruled out. Due to structural homology, LTPs from different allergen sources are generally IgE cross-reactive. However, sensitization profiles among allergic patients are extremely heterogeneous, and individual cross-reactivity patterns can be restricted to a single LTP or encompass many different LTPs. Molecule-based approaches in allergy research and diagnosis are important for better understanding of LTP allergy and could assist clinicians with providing adequate patient-tailored advice.
authors.affiliation: Christian Doppler Laboratory for Allergy Diagnosis and Therapy, Department of Molecular Biology, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, Salzburg, Austria. matthias.egger@sbg.ac.at
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Egger
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hauser
authors.forename: Adriano
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mari
authors.forename: Fatima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gadermaier
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D052179:Antigens, Plant / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D003429:Cross Reactions; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean / Q000009:adverse effects; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology; D019083:Mediterranean Region; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012275:Oryza / Q000737:chemistry; D010944:Plants / Q000009:adverse effects; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D052179:Antigens, Plant; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; C422456:Ltp1 protein, barley; C030363:lipid transfer protein; D007073:Immunoglobulin E