Immunological characterization of onion (Allium cepa) allergy

Albanesi M, Pasculli C, Giliberti L, et al. Immunological characterization of onion (Allium cepa) allergy. Advances in Dermatology and Allergology/Postępy Dermatologii i Alergologii. 2019;36(1):98-103. doi:10.5114/ada.2019.82829.

APA

Albanesi, M., Pasculli, C., Giliberti, L., Rossi, M., Bona, D.,  & Caiaffa, M. et al. (2019). Immunological characterization of onion (Allium cepa) allergy. Advances in Dermatology and Allergology/Postępy Dermatologii i Alergologii, 36(1), 98-103. https://doi.org/10.5114/ada.2019.82829

Chicago

Albanesi, Marcello, Carlo Pasculli, Lucia Giliberti, Maria Pia Rossi, Danilo Di Bona, Maria Filomena Caiaffa,  and Luigi Macchia. 2019. "Immunological characterization of onion (Allium cepa) allergy". Advances in Dermatology and Allergology/Postępy Dermatologii i Alergologii 36 (1): 98-103. doi:10.5114/ada.2019.82829.

Harvard

Albanesi, M., Pasculli, C., Giliberti, L., Rossi, M., Bona, D., Caiaffa, M.,  and Macchia, L. (2019). Immunological characterization of onion (Allium cepa) allergy. Advances in Dermatology and Allergology/Postępy Dermatologii i Alergologii, 36(1), pp.98-103. https://doi.org/10.5114/ada.2019.82829

MLA

Albanesi, Marcello et al. "Immunological characterization of onion (Allium cepa) allergy." Advances in Dermatology and Allergology/Postępy Dermatologii i Alergologii, vol. 36, no. 1, 2019, pp. 98-103. doi:10.5114/ada.2019.82829.

Vancouver

Albanesi M, Pasculli C, Giliberti L, Rossi M, Bona D, Caiaffa M et al. Immunological characterization of onion (Allium cepa) allergy. Advances in Dermatology and Allergology/Postępy Dermatologii i Alergologii. 2019;36(1):98-103. doi:10.5114/ada.2019.82829.

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 Immun^oCAP 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 Immun^oCAP 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.

keywords:

food allergy, onion allergy, lymphocyte proliferation, IgE-ELISA inhibition, lipid transfer proteins

references:

Sanchez-Hernandez MC, Hernandez M, Delgado J, et al. Allergenic cross reactivity in the Liliaceae family. Allergy 2000; 55: 297-308.
Valdivieso R, Subiza J,Varela-Losada S, et al. Bronchial asthma, rhynoconjunctivitis and contact dermatitis caused by onion. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1994; 94: 928-30.
Asero R, Mistrello G, Roncarolo D, Amato S. A case of onion allergy. J Allegy Clin Immunol 2001; 108: 309-10.
Arena A, Cislaghi C, Falagiani P. Anaphylactic reaction to the ingestion of raw onion: a case report. Allergol Immunopathol (Madrid) 2000; 28: 287-9.
Antolin-Amerigo D, Gandolfo-Cano M, Gonzalez-de Olano D, et al. Occupational allergy to Spanish omelette. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol 2012; 22: 522-3.
Adkinson N, Bochner B, Burks A, et al. (eds.). Middleton’s Allergy. 8th edn. 2014.
Corallino M, Nico A, Kourtis G, et al. Skin testing technique and precision in stinging insect allergy. J Clin Nurs 2007; 16: 1256-64.
Macchia L, Caiaffa MF, Di Felice G, et al. Changes in skin reactivity, specific IgE and IgG levels after one year of immunotherapy in olive pollinosis. Allergy 1991; 46: 410-8.
Enrique E, Malek T, De Mateo JA, et al. Involvement of lipid transfer protein in onion allergy. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2007; 98: 202.
Wong KJ, Timbrell V, Xi Y, et al. IgE+ B cells are scarce, but allergen-specific B cells with a memory phenotype circulate in patients with allergic rhinitis. Allergy 2015; 70: 420-8.
Foti C, Nettis E, Cassano N, et al. Allergy to Muscari comosum bulb. Allergy 2007; 62: 1217-8.
Bradford MM. A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Anal Biochem 1976; 72: 248-54.
Kao SH, Hsu CH, Su SN, et al. Identification and immunology characterization of an allergen Alyin lyase from garlic (Alium Sativum). J Allergy Clin Immunol 2004; 113: 161-8.
Matricardi PM, Kleine-Tebbe J, Hoffmann HJ, et al. EAACI molecular allergology user’s guide. 2016; Part C. Pediatr. Allergy Immunol 2016; 27 Suppl 23: 1-250.
Salcedo G, Sanchez-Monge R, Diaz-Perales A, et al. Plant non-specific lipid transfer proteins as food and pollen allergens. Clin Exp Allergy 2004; 34: 1336-41.
Cavatorta V, Sforza S, Aquino G, et al. In vitro gastrointestinal digestion of the major peach allergen Pru p3, a lipid transfer protein: molecular characterization of the products and assessment of their IgE binding abilities. Mol Nut Food Res 2010; 54: 1452-7.