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Fig and mulberry cross-allergy.

Maria Filomena Caiaffa¹, Vito Michele Cataldo, Alfredo Tursi

¹Department of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.

Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology : Official Publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology

|December 25, 2003

Summary

Fig and mulberry allergies may be linked due to cross-reactivity. This study suggests a potential association between hypersensitivity to figs (Ficus carica) and mulberries (Morus spp.) in allergic patients.

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Area of Science:

Food allergy research
Immunology
Clinical medicine

Background:

Hypersensitivity reactions to figs (Ficus carica) and mulberries (Morus nigra, Morus alba) are rare.
No prior reports documented co-occurring fig and mulberry allergy in the same patient.

Observation:

Three patients presented with documented hypersensitivity to both figs and mulberries.
These patients also exhibited multiple sensitizations to other food (primarily fruits) and airborne allergens.
Clinical histories and laboratory tests (skin prick tests, radioallergosorbent tests) confirmed IgE-mediated sensitization.

Findings:

All three patients had clear clinical histories of food allergy triggered by fresh figs.
Evidence of sensitization to mulberries was present in all cases, supported by clinical and laboratory data.

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The study investigated the potential for cross-allergy between these two fruits.

Implications:

Figs (Ficus) and mulberries (Morus) belong to the closely related Moraceae family.
The observed association suggests allergen cross-reactivity may underlie co-occurring fig and mulberry hypersensitivity.
This finding warrants further investigation into the immunological mechanisms connecting these fruit allergies.