A study of allergens in celery with cross‐sensitivity to mugwort and birch pollens

Abstract

Summary Sixty‐one sera with positive RAST to mugwort pollen (Artemisiae vulgaris) were submitted to RASTs for birch pollen (Betula verrucosa) and celery (Apium graveolens). In 36 cases RAST results were positive for celery. In addition, 23 sera presented specific IgE to birch pollen. The binding of specific IgE to individual allergens in celery, mugwort pollen and birch pollen was studied by the immunoblotting technique. This involved electrophoretic separation of allergenic extracts, electrotransfer of proteins onto nitrocellulose sheets and sensitive immunoenzymatic detection. Eighteen sera had specific IgE binding to two celery components of molecular weight around 15 kD. All these sera also detected a 15 kD allergen in mugwort and two allergens in birch of 14 kD and 16 kD molecular weight. The sera that did not detect the 15 kD bands in celery failed to react with both the 15 kD mugwort component and the 14 and 16 kD birch components. Specific cross‐inhibitions of the detection of these allergens on immunoblots were obtained by pre‐incubation of the sera with crude extract of the three species. These results strongly suggest that such allergens display some structural identity and that they could be at the origin of some cases of crossed hypersensitivity to celery, mugwort pollen and birch pollen.

Profilin, a Novel Plant Pan-Allergen

“…Such cross-reactivities were described between tree pollen allergens, apples, and nuts [1][2][3] as well as between mugwort and celery [4]-The presence of com mon allergenic structures in all these different plant spe cies would provide an explanation for this phenomenon. The major birch pollen allergen Bet v I which was found to be highly homologous to pathogenesis-related plant pro teins [5] is a good example for a cross-sensitizing structure between the related trees of the fagales order (birch, al der, hazel, hornbeam and oak) [6] and plant-derived food stuff [2].…”

Work-Related Allergy and Asthma in Spice Mill Workers – The Impact of Processing Dried Spices on IgE Reactivity Patterns

“…Patients with food allergies specifically to Liliaceae (garlic, onion, leek) have also been found to have celery-mugwort-spice syndrome [31]. Birch tree (Betula verrucosa) profilin Bet v 2 and mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) profilin Art v 4 have been identified as significant contributors to allergic reactions to pollen and plant-derived food within the celery-birch-mugwort association due to cross-reaction with celery profilin Api g 4 [32,33]. In this study, both workers 1 and 2 were sensitized to common silver birch tree and mugwort weed pollens as well as to celery (by ImmunoCAP) and grass pollens (by microarray).…”

Plant Food Allergies: A Suggested Approach to Allergen-Resolved Diagnosis in the Clinical Practice by Identifying Easily Available Sensitization Markers

“…Patients with birch pollen allergy frequently report symptoms following the ingestion of a large spectrum of fruits and vegetables [8, 9], although those most frequently involved in clinically relevant cross-reactions are apple and other fruits of the Rosaceae (including pear, peach, cherry, plum, apricot and almond) [8,9,10], tree nuts [11], vegetables of the Apiaceae (including celery, carrot, fennel and parsley) [12,13,14,15,16], kiwi [17, 18], soybean [19] and peanut [20]. Virtually all birch pollen-allergic patients are positive on SPTs with many of these fresh fruits and vegetables [21], but only a proportion of them, in general those reporting severe respiratory allergy symptoms or showing the highest levels of birch pollen-specific IgE [22, 23], have food allergy.…”