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Lupine Allergy: Not simply cross-reactivity with peanut or soyKim A.B.M. Peeters, MD, Julie A. Nordlee, MS, André H. Penninks, PhD, Lingyun Chen, PhD, Richard E. Goodman, PhD, Carla A.F.M. Bruijnzeel-Koomen, MD, PhD, Sue L. Hefle, PhD, Steve L. Taylor, PhD, André C. Knulst, MD, PhD When was the last time you ate lupine? If you're like most of us, you have no idea. We are even less likely to attribute nose and eye discharge, facial edema, and difficulty breathing 30 minutes after eating a waffle to the ingredient lupine (a plant of the pea family), as was the case in an otherwise healthy 8-year-old boy who had no history of food allergy and was eating a normal diet, including peanuts and other legumes. Lupine flour is used as an alternative to soy flour and as an additive to boost protein and fiber content in food In the September 2007 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Peeters and colleagues sought to identify allergens associated with lupine allergy, evaluate potential cross-reactivity with peanut, and determine eliciting doses (EDs) for lupine allergy Six adult patients with a history of allergic reactions to lupine flour were evaluated by using skin prick tests, CAP tests, and double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges. Three of these patients were also allergic to peanut. Lupine allergens were characterized by means of IgE immunoblotting and peptide sequencing. Although lupine allergy has been reported as a result of cross-reactivity with peanut, the authors clearly demonstrate that lupine allergy can occur as a separate entity, without any evidence of clinical or laboratory reactivity to other legumes. In fact, lupine might even rival peanut allergy in its severity. We are left with a caution regarding the safety of using lupine as a replacement for soy. |
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