Apple allergen can cure apple allergy

Apple allergen reduces symptoms of apple allergy

Many people who suffer from hay fever often add food allergy. For example, patients with birch pollen allergy often do not tolerate apples. Such cross reactions are usually very intense. Austrian researchers have now found in a study that an apple allergen significantly reduces the symptoms of apple allergy.

Some pollen allergy sufferers do not tolerate certain foods

Almost a third of German adults and around one in four children suffers from an allergy. The most common form of allergy is hay fever, which can be accompanied by symptoms such as dripping nose, swollen and itchy eyes and shortness of breath. Often there is also a food allergy to the pollen allergy. Austrian researchers have now found a treatment option for one of these cross-allergies.

Many patients suffering from birch pollen allergy can not tolerate apples. Researchers have now discovered that a special apple allergen significantly reduces the symptoms of apple allergy. (Image: Syda Productions / fotolia.com)

When birch pollen is a food allergy

According to the German Allergy and Asthma Association (DAAB), pollen-associated food allergies are among the most common food allergies in adulthood.

"Especially with a pollen allergy to early blooming trees and shrubs (birch, alder, hazel) often occur simultaneous food allergies," write the experts.

The allergy to birch pollen is one of the most common types of hay fever, their pollen are considered to be particularly aggressive.

"For over 50 percent of birch pollen allergy sufferers: Who reacts to birch, alder and hazel, tolerates mainly nuts and some raw fruits from the family of rose plants, such as apple, pear, peach, plum, cherry and almond," said the DAAB.

Especially the consumption of apples can lead to unpleasant discomfort for birch pollen allergy sufferers. Years ago, there was evidence that a specific allergen could help with apple allergy. Now there are new findings.

Symptoms of apple allergy could be reduced

The birch pollen-associated food allergy is a very common side effect of a birch pollen allergy - about 70 percent of all people with a birch pollen allergy also suffer from an apple allergy, reports the Medical University of Vienna in a statement.

The consumption of apples leads to swelling and redness or itching in the mouth and throat as well as ear area up to blistering.

In a Phase II study, a research group headed by Barbara Bohle at the Institute of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research in close collaboration with Tamar Kinaciyan at the Department of Dermatology at MedUni Vienna proved that the apple allergen "Mal d 1" Significantly reduced symptoms of apple allergy and thus represents an effective and safe treatment option.

The study results were recently published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Completely eat apples

Of the 60 volunteers with birch pollen-associated apple allergy, 20 each received a treatment with placebo, a birch pollen allergen and the recombinant apple allergen Mal d 1, ie genetically engineered, reproducible, very stable and therefore easily storable.

Once daily, d 1 was administered as drops under the tongue. The results are promising:

"In 6 out of 20 subjects, the allergy or symptoms did not strike at all. You could eat two apples daily after the therapy without any symptoms. For all the others, the symptoms were significantly reduced, so that they no longer have to forego the consumption of healthy, domestic apples, "says study director Bohle.

The results of the Phase II trial will now need to be reviewed in a (multi-center) phase III clinical trial - once this trial is successfully completed and a pharmaceutical partner is found, this apple allergy immunotherapy could be available in a few years.

Vaccines do not work against cross-allergies

Birch pollen allergy is considered one of the most aggressive pollen allergies.

The symptoms caused by pollen can be well treated by immunotherapy - the previous vaccines are effective only against the birch pollen allergen and not against various cross-allergies.

The study results suggest that with d1 d, the symptoms of cross-allergies with apple may be mitigated and may be effective in other fruit allergies. (Ad)