11/5/03 Wheat allergy updateSummaryWheat products are among the 6 foods reported to be responsible for about 90% of food allergic reactions in children. Recent findings about several aspects of wheat allergy (WA) were reviewed by Palosuo of the Univ. of Helsinki in Finland: 1) WA is now recognized to be one of the causes of food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis. 2) Wheat flour is a major allergen in "baker's asthma." 3) Only a few of the potentially allergenic proteins in wheat have been well characterized. One or more of several water/salt solution soluble wheat proteins have been incriminated in baker's asthma. The insoluble gliadins have been implicated in IgE-mediated reactions to ingested wheat. Omega-5 gliadin has been identified as a major allergen in the exercise-induced anaphylaxis that occurs following wheat ingestion. Some children with WA react specifically to omega-5 gliadin in oral challenges. Skin testing and/or in vitro testing for IgE vs gliadin may provide additional worthwhile information in such cases. Reference Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol 2003;3:205-9 Editor's Comments The interesting recent developments described above help our understanding of the complex pattern of IgE-mediated allergic reactions to wheat. Of course, other adverse reactions to ingested wheat do occur, in particular in the gliadin-induced celiac syndromes in children and adults. The latter is not usually accompanied by typical IgE-mediated allergic reactions.
|
