Hypersensitivity to members of the botanical order Fabales (legumes)

Legumes are an important source of proteins and their consumption is very f requent in the Mediterranean region and in some Asian and African countries . in some of these regions, lentils and chickpeas are one of the main food allergens. Legumes are also used as food additives due to their emulsifying properties and can be present in many manufactured foods. These hidden foo d allergens have the potential of causing adverse reactions in legume-sensi tive subjects. The allergenic composition of various legumes has been inves tigated. They have been found to contain multiple allergens, a few of which have been cloned and sequenced. Legumes contain acid-resistant and thermos table allergens. There is a significant degree of cross-reactivity among le gumes, the clinical relevance of which seems to be dependent on the dietary habits in different communities. In Spain, the consumption of several legu mes is frequent and, therefore, clinical allergy to more than one species i n children is common. Clinical manifestations include cutaneous, digestive and respiratory symptoms. Legumes can cause life-threatening reactions in s ensitized individuals. Inhalation of steam, powder or flour from some legum es may cause respiratory diseases such as rhinitis, asthma and hypersensiti vity pneumonitis. Soybean allergy is generally transitory, but clinical all ergy to peanuts is rarely outgrown. The natural history of other legume all ergies is less known and more studies are necessary to reach definite concl usions.