Identification of soybean proteins responsible for respiratory allergies

Serum samples from 32 patients who suffered attacks during the asthma outbreaks of 1987 and 1988 in Cartagena, Spain, supposedly caused by soybean dust, were studied. At least 90% had specific IgE to shell components and only 13% showed specific IgE to shell-depleted soybean grains. A control group of 32 patients who also suffered asthma attacks but on different days from those of the outbreaks were negative. The shell's most important allergen with an apparent molecular weight of 8 kDa was not present in shell-depleted grains. This allergen as well as other less important shell allergens may be different from the allergens already identified by using serum from patients suffering food allergy to soya.