title: Allergy to goat and sheep cheese with tolerance to cow's milk and its derivatives.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We present two adult and three paediatric patients who had allergic reactions after cheese ingestion and subsequently tolerated cow's milk derivatives. The objective of this study was to determine possible cross-reactivity between different types of cheese.
  
  
  METHODS
  Skin tests were performed to cow's milk fractions, and prick-prick tests for goat, sheep and cow cheese. Specific IgE to the fractions of cow's milk and cow, sheep and goat cheese was analysed. The protein profile of cow, sheep and goat cheese extracts was determined by SDS-PAGE and the allergenic profile by immunoblot. Cross-reactivity was investigated by immunoblot inhibition.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Skin tests were positive for casein in the patients. The prick-prick tests were positive for the three cheeses in patients 1 and 4, for goat and sheep cheese in patients 2 and 3, and for sheep cheese in patient 5. The specific IgE test was positive in patients 1, 3 and 4 for goat and sheep cheese, and negative in patients 2 and 5. Serum 3 and 4 clearly recognised goat and sheep cheese extracts. Goat casein was almost completely inhibited with sheep casein and partially inhibited with goat and sheep serum proteins, while there was no inhibition with cow cheese. Sheep casein was totally inhibited with sheep serum proteins. Sheep casein was inhibited with goat and cow caseins, suggesting cross-reactivity among the three types of cheese.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We showed sensitisation to goat and sheep cheese in two patients, and only to sheep cheese in another two of the studied patients.
authors.affiliation: Unitat d'Al·lèrgia, Hospital de Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: martavinas@hotmail.es.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Viñas
authors.affiliation: R & D Department, Laboratorios Leti S.L., Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carnés
authors.affiliation: R & D Department, Laboratorios Leti S.L., Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: López-Matas
authors.affiliation: Unitat d'Al·lèrgia, Hospital de Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.affiliation: Unitat d'Al·lèrgia, Hospital de Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.affiliation: Unitat d'Al·lèrgia, Hospital de Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ibero
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D000707:Anaphylaxis / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D002364:Caseins / Q000276:immunology; D002417:Cattle; D002611:Cheese / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D003429:Cross Reactions / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006041:Goats; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008892:Milk / Q000276:immunology*; D016269:Milk Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D012756:Sheep; D012882:Skin Tests
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D002364:Caseins; D007073:Immunoglobulin E