ASTHMA AND ANAPHYLAXIS INDUCED BY ROYAL JELLY

Background Asthma, together with, in some cases, anaphylaxis, was obse rved in seven subjects following ingestion of royal jelly, a secretion of honey bees which is used as a health tonic. Objective To determine if reactions were IgE-mediated and to identify allergenic components of royal jelly. Methods Skin-prick tests, immunoassays for specific Ig E antibodies and protein blotting studies using patients' sera and ant i-IgE second antibodies were employed. Results Immunoassays detected I gE antibodies to royal jelly proteins in sera of subjects who reacted to the substance. A total of 18 different IgE-binding components were detected on blots following electrophoretic separation of royal jelly under dissociating conditions. Examination of 63 sera from subjects al lergic to bee venom showed that there is no direct relationship betwee n IgE antibody reactivity to bee venom allergens and to royal jelly pr oteins although 38% of the sera reacted with a royal jelly solid phase . IgE antibody reactivity to royal jelly proteins was also detected in 52% of 75 subjects with allergies to inhalant and/or food allergens. Antibody binding of blotted royal jelly proteins was most marked in th e molecular weight region 25-55 kDa and one component of MW similar to 55 kDa was detected by all of the reactive sera from royal jelly-alle rgic and control allergic subjects. Conclusions Symptoms of asthma and anaphylaxis seen in subjects following ingestion of royal jelly were true IEE-mediated hypersensitivity reactions. The clinical significanc e of the antibodies found in the sera of control subjects is not known but they may arise in response to common inhalant allergens that show allergenic crossreactivity with royal jelly.