CHARACTERIZATION OF ALLERGENS IN KIWI FRUIT AND DETECTION OF CROSS-REACTIVITIES WITH ALLERGENS OF BIRCH POLLEN AND RELATED FRUIT ALLERGENS

The sera of 29 patients who suffered from pollen-related food hypersen sitivities and complained of allergic reactions to kiwi fruit and othe r tropical fruits were tested for specific IgE antibodies against kiwi fruit, apple, carrot, celery and birch pollen using an enzyme allergo sorbent test (EAST). In 20 sera, specific IgE antibodies were detected against all jive extracts. Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis/immunoblot of kiwi fruit extract revealed two major a llergens with molecular weights of approximately 43 and 67 kDa. In EAS T inhibition assays, cross-reactivities between kiwi fruit, apple, bir ch pollen and, to a lesser degree, carrot and celery were demonstrated . The cross-reactivities seen between kiwi fruit, birch pollen and app le were not caused by the major allergen of birch pollen (Bet v 1). Al lergens with molecular weights of approximately 68 kDa in birch pollen and 67 kDa in apple cross-reacted with the allel gens of kiwi fruit, as demonstrated by immumoblotinhibition. Profilins, which are known pl ant pan-allergens, do not seem to be relevant allergens in kiwi fruit.