Lee Mey-Fann, Chen Yi-Hsing, Lan Joung-Liang, Tseng Chiang-Yuan, Wu Chii-Huei
Department of Education and Research, Immunology and Rheumatology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.
Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2004 Mar;133(3):211-6. doi: 10.1159/000076826. Epub 2004 Feb 16.
'Latex-fruit syndrome' has been well documented. A prevalence of latex allergy among medical workers of 6.8-8.6% had been reported in Taiwan. However, there has been no study to determine the importance and type of fruit hypersensitivity in latex-allergic patients in Taiwan. This study aimed to identify the allergenic components of Indian jujube (Zizyphus mauritiana) and characterize the cross-reactivity of specific IgE antibodies to latex allergen.
Crude extracts were prepared from Indian jujube and from ammoniated natural rubber latex, and six medical workers and one patient with a history of fruit allergy underwent skin testing with routine allergens, latex, Indian jujube and other fruits. Sera from two Indian jujube skin test-positive latex-allergic subjects were used for allergen-specific IgE, immunoblotting, immunoblot inhibition and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) inhibition studies.
Both patients had positive skin test responses and specific IgE assays to Indian jujube and latex extracts. Immunoblotting revealed that IgE from both subjects bound to a 42-kD latex protein and a 42-kD Indian jujube protein. In addition, IgE from one subject bound to a 30-kD Indian jujube protein. Preincubation of atopic sera with Indian jujube or latex extract demonstrated absent and/or marked inhibition of IgE binding. Moreover, anti-Indian jujube protein antibody-based ELISA was able to detect latex extracts.
Our results add to findings regarding the 'latex-fruit syndrome' described in the literature, and further study of the cross-reacting allergens identified in Indian jujube may help to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this syndrome.
“乳胶-水果综合征”已有充分记录。台湾报道医护人员中乳胶过敏患病率为6.8%-8.6%。然而，台湾尚无研究确定乳胶过敏患者中水果过敏的重要性及类型。本研究旨在鉴定毛叶枣（Zizyphus mauritiana）的致敏成分，并表征特异性IgE抗体与乳胶过敏原的交叉反应性。
从毛叶枣和氨化天然橡胶乳胶中制备粗提物，6名医护人员和1名有水果过敏史的患者接受常规过敏原、乳胶、毛叶枣及其他水果的皮肤试验。来自2名毛叶枣皮肤试验阳性的乳胶过敏受试者的血清用于过敏原特异性IgE、免疫印迹、免疫印迹抑制及酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）抑制研究。
两名患者对毛叶枣和乳胶提取物的皮肤试验反应及特异性IgE检测均呈阳性。免疫印迹显示，两名受试者的IgE均与一种42-kD乳胶蛋白和一种42-kD毛叶枣蛋白结合。此外，一名受试者的IgE与一种30-kD毛叶枣蛋白结合。特应性血清与毛叶枣或乳胶提取物预温育显示IgE结合缺失和/或显著抑制。此外，基于抗毛叶枣蛋白抗体的ELISA能够检测乳胶提取物。
我们结果补充了文献中关于“乳胶-水果综合征”的发现，对毛叶枣中鉴定出的交叉反应性过敏原的进一步研究可能有助于阐明该综合征的潜在机制。
