JeLuDa Allergy

CARPA – Complement Activation-Related Pseudo-Allergy

What is CARPA?

The Complement System is the name of a group of proteins which circulate in the blood and tissue fluids. They are activated by the presence of molecular components they don’t recognise. This can be bacteria or viruses, but also damaged human cells and drug components they have never encountered before.

The proteins become sequentially activated in an enzyme cascade which can trigger an inflammatory immune response. This is what the term Activation-Related refers to.

Pseudo-Allergy means that the reaction is not a genuine IgE allergy but can present itself as one. A genuine allergy means that the body reacts in the same or similar way every time it is exposed to a specific allergen and can be detected by an IgE blood test. A pseudo-allergic reaction can be a single incident that would not be repeated on a subsequent exposure to the same allergen and would not show any sensitisation in an IgE blood test.

If you want to read more on the topic and access all the additional resources check out my website at – www.allergyresources.co.uk/CARPA.php

The majority of my posts are no longer on WordPress – follow me on Facebook or Twitter if you don’t want to miss my monthly round-ups or allergy card updates!

Jemma

Dog Allergy Resources

There are 8 allergens associated with dogs, they are all allergens which affect the airways.

Can f 1, 2, 4 and 6 are all lipocalin proteins. These proteins are the most likely candidate for your allergy to pet hair. These proteins transport molecules like lipids and steroids around the body.

Can f 3 is a serum albumin protein, people who are allergic to this protein are more likely to be allergic to other mammals and very rarely can become allergic to eating mammalian meats such as beef, chicken and pork, which also contain these proteins.

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

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

There is also regularly updated links to useful websites specifically for dog 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.

May 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

Coffee Allergy Resources

There are 3 allergens associated with coffee allergy. Cof a 1 is a chitinase protein. Chitinase proteins are usually associated with Latex Food Syndrome, but in this case the allergen is an inhalant allergen and not a food allergen, so does not need to be avoided if suffering from this syndrome.

Cof a 2 and Cof a 3 are both metallothionein proteins. Again these are inhalant allergens and not food allergens and they are used in the plant to bind metals such as zinc.

Coffee allergy has been linked to asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and atopic dermatitis, especially in patients who work with coffee occupationally.

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

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

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

Chia Seed Allergy Resources

Chia seeds are from the Salvia hispanica plant. This plant is in the Lamiaceae family which contains lots of edible herbs such as mint and sage.

With the rise of veganism in Western countries the use of chia seeds has increased as they are an excellent replacement for eggs as they act as a thickening agent.

Chia seeds contain 7S and 11S seed storage proteins, which are protein found in lots of other nuts and seeds. There is however very limited information or clinical evidence on cross reactivity to show that these seeds should be avoided by nut and seed allergy sufferers.

There are only 2 case studies of chia seed causing severe allergic reaction, which may indicate the likelihood that cross reactivity between chia seeds and other seeds and nuts is actually very low.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.