Abstract
Peanut allergy is one of the most common food allergies and may cause severe reactions. Skin prick tests and specific IgE antibodies to peanut extract are not able to distinguish between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.
Reactivity todistinct peanut allergen components may draw attention to the potencial risk of more severe reactions. Method: We analyzed the group of 294 patients sensitized to peanut allergens: Ara h1, Ara h 2, Ara h 3 or Ara h 8.
Patients were divided into 8 groups according to their dominant clinical symptoms and frequency of sensitization to individual allergen components in each group was assessed. Results: Asymptomatic patients and patients with oral allergy syndrome were mostly adults and sensitized to Ara h 8.
More than 90% of these patients were sensitized to birch pollen. More severe reaction were observed mostly in children, these kinds of reactions were related to polysensitization and sensitization to seed storage proteins.
Conclusion: We confirmed, that allergy to seed storage proteins, especially Ara h 2, is frequently responsible for the more severe allergy symptoms. Sensitization to Ara h 8 is frequently associated with mild or no symptoms.