TUESDAY, April 25 (HealthDay News) -- Patients who are allergic to apples may not have the same adverse reaction to all varieties of the fruit, as some apples appear to be more allergenic than others, according to a study in the April issue of the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
Jeronimo Carnes, Ph.D., of Laboratorios LETI in Madrid, Spain, and colleagues took extracts from 10 apple varieties -- Golden, Golden Perlim, Reineta, Reineta Parda, Fuji, Verdedoncella, Granny-Smith, Pink Lady, Royal Gala and Starking -- and tested them on 22 Spanish patients with known oral allergy syndrome after apple ingestion. Of the sample, 11 patients underwent skin-prick testing with extracts of Golden, Starking and Reinata Parda varieties to determine the differences in terms of in vivo allergenicity.
The 10 varieties had several differences, but a 9-kDa band, which could correspond to Mal d 3, was present in all extracts. The highest protein content was found in the Starking variety, and the lowest in the Reineta Parda and Royal Gala varieties. The Starking variety produced the largest wheals in all patients, while the Reineta Parda variety produced the smallest. Mal d 3 in the Golden variety was recognized in 14 patients (64 percent).
"The identification of less allergenic, or hypoallergenic, apple varieties could be important in dietary recommendations, especially for patients with severe allergic symptoms," the authors conclude.
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