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Inhalant allergy to egg yolk and egg white proteins
S Quirce1, M L Díez-Gómez, P Eiras
1Department of Allergy, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain.
Summary
Avian and egg proteins can cause both food and respiratory allergies. Accurate diagnosis requires identifying specific cross-reactive allergens like alpha-livetin and lysozyme.
Area of Science:
- Allergy and Immunology
- Proteomics
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Egg white, egg yolk, and avian proteins are known causes of inhalant allergy.
- Inhalational allergy to these proteins can be linked to food allergies to egg.
Observation:
- Two patients presented with respiratory and food allergic symptoms after exposure to egg or avian antigens via inhalation or ingestion.
- Clinical and immunological evaluations were performed to pinpoint cross-reactive allergens.
Findings:
- Patient 1: Sensitization to egg yolk livetins, feathers, and chicken serum. Chicken albumin (alpha-livetin) identified as a cross-reactive allergen in egg yolk, serum, and feathers.
- Patient 2: Sensitization to egg white, ovomucoid, and lysozyme. Lysozyme identified as the primary allergen due to contamination in ovomucoid extract.
Implications:
- Egg proteins function as both ingested allergens and aeroallergens.
- Purified egg protein analysis is crucial for diagnosing allergies and identifying cross-reactive allergens.