A 17-kDa allergen detected in pine nuts.

BACKGROUND: Few cases of allergy to pine nuts have been described. We report a case of anaphylactic reaction to pine nuts. The patient needed to be treated in the emergency room due to a systemic reaction immediately after eating pine nuts.

METHODS: The patient was studied by prick tests and prick by prick tests. Specific IgE was measured by CAP and by SDS-PAGE/immunoblotting by a diffusion method.

RESULTS: The patient showed positive prick by prick tests to pine nuts (12 mm of maximum wheal diameter). Specific IgE was positive (0.79 kU/l). The patient's serum recognized several proteins by immunoblot. However, a 17-kDa allergen band was detected with high intensity. This protein was found to be sensitive to reducing agents, losing its IgE-binding properties after reduction.

CONCLUSIONS: The patient presented an IgE-mediated reaction and detected a 17-kDa protein from pine nuts not previously described.