Why do lipid transfer protein-hypersensitive patients tolerate bean (and other legumes)?
GROUND: Patients allergic to nonspecific lipid transfer protein (LTP) frequently score positive on SPT with legumes but virtually never report adverse reactions eating these foods. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the IgE reactivity to legumes of LTP-allergic patients and aimed to establish whether legumes can be considered safe in LTP-allergic patients. METHODS: Skin reactivity as well as clinical allergy to bean and pea were evaluated in a large cohort of LTP-hypersensitive patients. Sera from 12 patients showing clinical allergy to a number of botanically unrelated plant-derived foods and high levels of IgE to peach LTP were employed in in vitro studies (ELISA, ELISA inhibition, SDS-PAGE/immunoblot) aiming to investigate IgE reactivity to bean. RESULTS: Preabsorption of patients’ sera with boiled bean extract did not cause any loss of IgE reactivity to peach LTP (whereas boiled apple totally abolished it). Immunoblot analysis did not show any IgE reactivity to bean proteins at abo
