PISTACHIO NUT HYPERSENSITIVITY - IDENTIFICATION OF PISTACHIO NUT ALLERGENS

Type I hypersensitivity to pistachio nut antigens was demonstrated in three patients by means of immediate skin-test reactivity, specific Ig E determination by a fluoroimmunoassay (CAP), CAP-inhibition and leuco cyte histamine release. Sensitization to other dried fruits and pollen s was observed in the patients. The CAP-inhibition studies revealed si gnificant crossreactivity between pistachio and cashew nut belonging t o the Anacardiaceae family, and between pistachio nut and other dried fruits belonging to taxonomically unrelated botanical families. No rel evant crossallergenicity was observed between pistachio nut and Lolium and Olea pollens. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electroph oresis (SDS-PAGE) of a pistachio nut extract followed by immunoblottin g analysis identified four IgE-binding bands with molecular weights of 34, 41, 52 and 60 kD.