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Wheat allergy, also known as wheat hypersensitivity is most commonly a food allergy, but can also be a respiratory or contact allergy resulting from occupational exposure. Like all allergies wheat allergy involves IgE and mast cell response. Typically the allergy is limited to the seed storage proteins of wheat, some reactions are restricted to wheat proteins, while others can react across many varieties of seeds and other plant tissues. Wheat allergy may be a misnomer since there are many allergenic components in wheat, for example serine proteinase inhibitors, glutelins and prolamins and different responses are often attributed to different proteins. The most severe response is exercise/aspirin induced anaphylaxis attributed to one omega gliadin that is a relative of the protein that causes coeliac disease.[1] Other more common symptoms include nausea, urticaria, atopy.[2]
There are four major classes of seed storage proteins: albumins, globulins, prolamins and glutelins. Within wheat prolamins are called gliadins and glutelins are called glutenins. These two protein groups form the classic glutens. While gluten is a causative agent of Coeliac disease (CD), coeliac disease can be contrasted to gluten allergy by the involvement of different immune cells and antibody types (See Comparative pathophysiology of gluten sensitivities), and because the list of allergens extend beyond the classic gluten category of proteins.
Prolamins and the closely related glutelins, a recent study in Japan found that glutinins are a more frequent allergen, however gliadins are associated with the most severe disease. A proteomics based study found a ?-gliadin isoform gene.[1] Wheat dependent exercise induced anaphylaxis (WDEIA) is primarily mediated by ?-5 gliadin which is encoded by the Gli-1B gene derived from the Aegilops speltoides B genome within wheat.
Glutenin (wheat glutelin) is a predominant allergen in wheat.[1] Nine subunits of LMW-glutinen have been found to bind to wheat allergy associated IgE.
At present many of the allergens of wheat have not been characterized; however, the early studies found many to be in the albumin class[3]. A recent study in Europe confirmed the increased presence of allergies to amylase/trypsin inhibitors (serpins)[4][1] and lipid transfer protein (LPT).[5] but less reactivity to the globulin fraction[6] The allergies tend to differ between populations (Italian, Japanese, Danish or Swiss)[citation needed], indicating a potential genetic component to these reactivities.
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