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- Title
Immunological characterization of onion (Allium cepa) allergy.
- Authors
Albanesi, Marcello; Pasculli, Carlo; Giliberti, Lucia; Rossi, Maria Pia; Di Bona, Danilo; Caiaffa, Maria Filomena; Macchia, Luigi
- Abstract
Introduction: Onion (Allium cepa) handling can induce contact dermatitis, rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma. However, only sporadic reports exist on allergic reactions to onion consumption. Aim: We describe herein a case of a 35-year-old man who had an episode of anaphylaxis following cooked onion ingestion. We evaluated onion-specific IgE, the possible cross-reactivity between onion and peach and lymphocyte proliferation in response to onion. Material and methods: Specific IgE was evaluated using two techniques: skin test and ImmunoCAP technology. Cross-reactivity between onion and peach was evaluated by IgE-ELISA inhibition test. As for lymphocyte proliferation, blood mononuclear cells were stained with CFSE dye and cultured with an in-house onion extract. Proliferation and phenotype was assessed by flow-cytometry. Results: The skin test and ImmunoCAP confirmed the IgE-dependent response towards onion. The incubation of the patient serum with increasing concentrations of the peach extract reduced only scarcely (~30%) onion-specific IgE. Interestingly, B cells but not T cells showed proliferation in response to onion extract. Conclusions: In conclusion, our report shows that cooked onion can induce severe allergic reactions, suggesting the presence of thermostable components. Moreover, we applied for the first time a B-cell-based approach to the diagnosis of food allergy. This latter approach might also be applied to other allergic conditions.
- Subjects
CONTACT dermatitis; ONIONS; RHINITIS; ASTHMA; IMMUNOGLOBULIN E; LYMPHOCYTES; CELL proliferation
- Publication
Advances in Dermatology & Allergology / Postępy Dermatologii i Alergologii, 2019, Vol 36, Issue 1, p98
- ISSN
1642-395X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.5114/ada.2019.82829