Wheat allergy

Wheat allergy
Wheat
SpecialtyImmunology

Wheat allergy is an allergy to wheat which typically presents itself as a food allergy, but can also be a contact allergy resulting from occupational exposure. Like all allergies, wheat allergy involves immunoglobulin E and mast cell response.[1] Typically the allergy is limited to the seed storage proteins of wheat. Some reactions are restricted to wheat proteins, while others can react across many varieties of seeds and other plant tissues. Wheat allergy is rare. Prevalence in adults was estimated to be 0.21% in a 2012 study in Japan.[2]

Wheat allergy may be a misnomer since there are many allergenic components in wheat, for example serine protease inhibitors, glutelins and prolamins and different responses are often attributed to different proteins. Twenty-seven potential wheat allergens have been successfully identified.[3] The most severe response is exercise/aspirin-induced anaphylaxis attributed to one omega gliadin that is a relative of the protein that causes celiac disease.[4] Other more common symptoms include nausea, urticaria, and atopy.[5]

Gluten sensitivity and Coeliac disease are two different diseases even if the management could be similar.[6] Management of wheat allergy consists of complete withdrawal of any food containing wheat or other gluten-containing cereals.

  1. ^ Sutton, Brian J.; Davies, Anna M.; Bax, Heather J.; Karagiannis, Sophia N. (22 Feb 2019). "IgE Antibodies: From Structure to Function and Clinical Translation". Antibodies. 8 (1): 19. doi:10.3390/antib8010019. PMC 6640697. PMID 31544825.
  2. ^ Morita E, Chinuki Y, Takahashi H, Nabika T, Yamasaki M, Shiwaku K (March 2012). "Prevalence of wheat allergy in Japanese adults". Allergol Int. 61 (1): 101–5. doi:10.2332/allergolint.11-OA-0345. PMID 22377522.
  3. ^ Sotkovský P, Sklenář J, Halada P, Cinová J, Setinová I, Kainarová A, Goliáš J, Pavlásková K, Honzová S, Tučková L (July 2011). "A new approach to the isolation and characterization of wheat flour allergens". Clinical & Experimental Allergy. 41 (7): 1031–43. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2222.2011.03766.x. PMID 21623965. S2CID 21906042.
  4. ^ Akagawa M, Handoyo T, Ishii T, Kumazawa S, Morita N, Suyama K (2007). "Proteomic analysis of wheat flour allergens". J. Agric. Food Chem. 55 (17): 6863–70. doi:10.1021/jf070843a. PMID 17655322.
  5. ^ Perr HA (2006). "Novel foods to treat food allergy and gastrointestinal infection". Current Allergy and Asthma Reports. 6 (2): 153–9. doi:10.1007/s11882-006-0054-z. PMC 7088959. PMID 16566866.
  6. ^ Costantino, A., Aversano, G., Lasagni, G., Smania, V., Doneda, L., Vecchi, M., ... & Elli, L. (2022). Diagnostic management of patients reporting symptoms after wheat ingestion. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9.