Immediate reactions to fruits and vegetables

Abstract

Common fruits and vegetables were tested as such with the "scratch-chamber" method in 388 patients with various atopic disorders. Of the patients with hypersensitivity to birch pollen, 36% showed immediate positive responses to these natural, fresh materials. Apple, carrot, parsnip and potato elicited reactions more often than, e.g. swede, tomato, onion and parsley. On the basis of clinical data, the relevancy of the results of the skin tests was 80-90%. Both "false positive" and "false negative" responses were seen. Itching and tingling with or without oedema of the lips, mouth and tongue were the most common complaints after eating raw fruits and vegetables. In addition, laryngeal and abdominal disturbances, rhinitis and hand dermatitis were recorded. Among patients without allergy to birch pollen, reactions to fruits and vegetables were rare. The nature of the allergens could not be determined.

How do we develop hypoallergenic foods, and is there a need for them?

“…Fruits can lose their allergenieity by canning, as in the preparation of preserves or jatn. Tlie allergen of apple loses its allergenieity upon heating (15). Air exposure has also been shown to denature apple allergen, beeause polyphenols, which ate the eonstituents of tnany plants, are oxidized to quinones.…”

Birch Pollen-Related Food Allergy: An Excellent Disease Model to Understand the Relevance of Immunological Cross-Reactivity for Allergy

“…Already in 1948 it has been recognized that birch pollen-allergic patients tend to develop allergic reactions to fruits and vegetables in addition to seasonal respiratory symptoms (Juhlin-Dannfelt, 1948). An association between birch pollinosis and allergic reactions to diverse foods was first demonstrated in the late seventies (Hannuksela and Lahti, 1977). In this report, more than 380 Finish patients with various atopic disorders were tested for allergic reactivity to common fruits and vegetables.…”

Epicutaneous Testing

“…Howe\'er, in recent years sotne reports have presented evidence that it may be fairly common especially among atopic people (16,18,29,30).…”

“…Of common fruits, vegetables and edible roots immediate skin reactions are elicited by parsnip, apple, potato, and carrot in 20-30% of patients with birch pollen allergy but in only 2-496 of other atopic patients and very seldom in non-atopic controls (16,25). The figures concerning other fruits and vegetables have been found to be somewhat lower (8-18%) among those with birch pollen allergy, and 0-4% among patients with other immediate allergies (16). Some other foods, animal dander and saliva, and medicaments are additional agents capable of producing contact urticaria (6,18,29).…”

“…These easily perishable materials can be tested reliably with the scratch chamber technique (16) (25) fractionated the allergens of apple and carrot into two chromatographic fractions, the first of which contained both sugar and proteins, and the latter only proteins. The protein fraction elicited reactions more often than the sugar-protein fractions.…”