How are allergy proteins named?

In my allergy pages I often refer to the named proteins which could be causing a person to suffer allergic reactions and people often ask me – what do they mean?

Allergenic proteins in food and pollen have names like Sol t 1, Bet v 1 and Pru p 1.

The first 3 letters indicate the genus of the plant the allergen comes from, the single lowercase letter indicates the species of the plant the allergen comes from and the number indicates which allergen we are referring to.

Want to read the rest? You can find it on my website at www.allergyresources.co.uk

Cat Allergy Resources

There are 8 allergens associated with cats, this includes their hair, dander (which is flakes of dry skin), urine and saliva.

Fel d 1 is the most common allergen people react to. Most animal allergies are caused by lipocalin proteins, but cat allergy is different in that the main allergenic protein is a uteroglobin. Uteroglobin proteins are anti-inflammatory proteins produced by mucosal cells in most of the organs. This means Fel d 1 is found in cat saliva, urine and dander and in higher concentrations in male unneutered cats. As such there is no such thing as a hypo-allergenic cat (not yet), as hair is not the main culprit in this allergy.

Fel d 4 and Fel d 7 are lipocalin proteins, in other animal dander allergies this is the protein that most individuals react to. These proteins transport molecules like lipids and steroids around the body.

I have put together some more comprehensive resources at http://www.allergyresources.co.uk/Cat.php

The allergy resources page for cat allergy covers the key allergens, which allergic syndromes are linked to this allergy and other foods which are commonly cross reactive with cat allergy .

There is also regularly updated links to useful websites specifically for cat allergies and the latest research papers on the topic.

If you have multiple allergies and are interested in how they are linked or want to find out more about food allergies outside the usual top 14 then you can follow me on Facebook or Twitter, where I share a food allergy card every day of the week.

Broccoli Allergy Resources

Broccoli is in the cabbage family of brassicas. No allergens have been detected in broccoli, but it has been shown to contain Lipid Transfer Proteins (LTP).

Broccoli also contains high levels of salicylates. These are naturally derived compounds in food and are made by the plant in defence against disease and attack by insects.

You may be suffering from LTP Syndrome if you have reactions to various fruits, vegetables and nuts and your reactions continue to be severe after you have discarded the peel and have cooked the food.

I have put together some more comprehensive resources at http://www.allergyresources.co.uk/Broccoli.php

The allergy resources page for broccoli covers the key allergens, which allergic syndromes are linked to this allergy and other foods which are commonly cross reactive with broccoli.

There is also regularly updated links to useful websites specifically for broccoli allergies and the latest research papers on the topic.

If you have multiple allergies and are interested in how they are linked or want to find out more about food allergies outside the usual top 14 then you can follow me on Facebook or Twitter, where I share a food allergy card every day of the week.

Birch Pollen – Allergy Resources

There are 7 allergens associated with allergy to birch pollen. The most important of which is called Bet v 1. These proteins are sometimes also called PR-10 as they are used by the plant in pathogenesis (defence against disease).

Birch pollen occurs in the UK between March and June, peaking in April. This varies in different countries. It is considered to have high allergenicity.

I have put together some more comprehensive resources at http://www.allergyresources.co.uk/Birch.php

The allergy resources page for birch pollen covers the key allergens, which allergic syndromes are linked to this allergy and other foods which are commonly cross reactive with birch pollen.

There is also regularly updated links to useful websites specifically for birch pollen allergies and the latest research papers on the topic.

If you have multiple allergies and are interested in how they are linked or want to find out more about food allergies outside the usual top 14 then you can follow me on Facebook or Twitter, where I share a food allergy card every day of the week.

Alder Pollen – Allergy Resources

There are 2 allergens associated with alder tree pollen, Aln g 1 and Aln g 2. Both are allergens associated with airways.

Alder pollen occurs in the UK between January and April, peaking in February. This varies in different countries. It is considered to have medium to high allergenicity.

I have put together some more comprehensive resources at http://www.allergyresources.co.uk/Alder.php

The allergy resources page for alder pollen covers the key allergens, which allergic syndromes are linked to this allergy and other foods which are commonly cross reactive with alder pollen.

There is also regularly updated links to useful websites specifically for alder pollen allergies and the latest research papers on the topic.

If you have multiple allergies and are interested in how they are linked or want to find out more about food allergies outside the usual top 14 then you can follow me on Facebook or Twitter, where I share a food allergy card every day of the week.

LTP Syndrome – Allergy Resources

Lipid Transfer Proteins (LTP) are found in many types of plants. You may be allergic to all or some of the foods mentioned in the cross reactivity section.

LTP Syndrome can be confused with Pollen Food Allergy Syndrome (PFAS) as there is a crossover of common trigger foods. In general PFAS symptoms are less severe and give oral allergy type symptoms. Reactions to LTP are more severe and a reaction is elicited from foods that have been cooked.

I have put together some more comprehensive resources at http://www.allergyresources.co.uk/LTP.php

The allergy resources page for LTP syndrome covers which foods are commonly cross reactive.

There is also regularly updated links to useful websites specifically for lipid transfer proteins and the latest research papers on the topic.

If you have multiple allergies and are interested in how they are linked or want to find out more about food allergies outside the usual top 14 then you can follow me on Facebook or Twitter, where I share a food allergy card every day of the week.

April Allergy Articles

All the latest allergy, asthma and eczema news!

The monthly allergy articles have now been moved to my main website in the blog section – www.allergyresources.co.uk

You can view this month’s article list here!

Follow me on  Facebook  or Twitter if you don’t want to miss my monthly round-ups.

Jemma

Couldn’t find anything that interested you? Try the previous months Articles of Interest

Gluten Allergy Resources

Gluten is the name given to a group of proteins (also known as prolamins). Reactions to this group of proteins are not considered to be a true IgE allergic reaction.

Coeliac disease (European spelling, known as Celiac in North America) is an autoimmune disorder where the body reacts to gluten in foods consumed and damages the gut, causing poor absorption of foods.

Despite not being an allergy gluten is usually included in food allergy lists as it needs to be labelled on food in Europe as there are large number of sufferers worldwide.

I have put together some more comprehensive resources at http://www.allergyresources.co.uk/Gluten.php

The allergy resources page for gluten covers the key allergens, which allergic syndromes are linked to this allergy and other foods which are commonly cross reactive with gluten.

There is also regularly updated links to useful websites specifically for gluten allergies and the latest research papers on the topic.

If you have multiple allergies and are interested in how they are linked or want to find out more about food allergies outside the usual top 14 then you can follow me on Facebook or Twitter, where I share a food allergy card every day of the week.

Sheep Milk Allergy Resources

Sheep milk by-products are commonly consumed in Western Europe, mostly cheese made from sheep milk like feta and ricotta.

The allergenic proteins in sheep milk are generally split into albumins (commonly called whey) and casein. In human milk the split is usually 60% whey to 40% casein. In sheep milk the split is 20% whey to 80% casein. This is a very similar composition to cow’s milk. This massive difference in composition is thought to be the cause of what causes IgE allergic reaction to mammalian milk, with most people being allergic to casein proteins in the milk.

Sheep milk or cheese are not suitable alternatives for people suffering from cow’s milk allergy.

I have put together some more comprehensive resources at http://www.allergyresources.co.uk/Sheep.php

The allergy resources page for sheep milk covers the key allergens, which allergic syndromes are linked to this allergy and other foods which are commonly cross reactive with sheep milk.

There is also regularly updated links to useful websites specifically for sheep milk allergies and the latest research papers on the topic.

If you have multiple allergies and are interested in how they are linked or want to find out more about food allergies outside the usual top 14 then you can follow me on Facebook or Twitter, where I share a food allergy card every day of the week.

Poppy Seed Allergy Resources

Poppy seeds have been found to contain profilin allergens, those especially sensitive to these proteins may have allergic reactions to poppy seeds.

Allergic reactions caused by eating poppy seeds are sometimes thought to be caused by Bet v 1-like proteins, which cause reactions in people sensitised to birch tree pollen and give oral allergy type symptoms.

Recently a study has found that poppy seeds contain 2S albumin proteins, more commonly found in nuts and seeds. Individuals sensitive to these proteins may react to the 2S albumin proteins in the seeds.

I have put together some more comprehensive resources at http://www.allergyresources.co.uk/Poppy.php

The allergy resources page for poppy seed covers the key allergens, which allergic syndromes are linked to this allergy and other foods which are commonly cross reactive with poppy seed.

There is also regularly updated links to useful websites specifically for poppy seed allergies and the latest research papers on the topic.

If you have multiple allergies and are interested in how they are linked or want to find out more about food allergies outside the usual top 14 then you can follow me on Facebook or Twitter, where I share a food allergy card every day of the week.