Allergy information for: Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima )

Clinical History

• Number of Studies:1-5
• Number of Patients:1-5
• Symptoms:

  Oral allergy syndrone, angioedema, asthma (Fritsch et al. 1997 [56])

  Oral allergy syndrone, angioedema, generalized itching, and mild dyspnea (Figueredo et al. 2000 [54])

Skin Prick Test

• Number of Studies:1-5
• Food/Type of allergen:

  Fritsch et al. (1997) [56] used an extract of ground pumpkin seed.

  Figueredo et al. 2000 [54] used fresh pumpkin.

• Protocol: (controls, definition of positive etc)Skin prick-by-prick test
• Number of Patients:

  Fritsch et al. (1997) [56] tested 3 patients.

  Figueredo et al. 2000 [54] tested 1 patient.

• Summary of Results:

  Fritsch et al. (1997) [56] report that positive SPTs with pumpkin seed were found with 2/3 patients. All 3 patients were SPT positive for a wide variety of allergens.

  Figueredo et al. (2000) [54] report positive SPTs with fresh fruits, pumpkin and other Cucurbitaceae fruits: cucumber, zucchini, muskmelon, and watermelon.

IgE assay (by RAST, CAP etc)

• Number of Studies:0
• Food/Type of allergen:

  Pumpkinseed extract (Fritsch et al. 1997) [56]

  

  Extract of the pulp of several Cucurbitaceae fruits (Figueredo et al. 2000 [54])

• IgE protocol:RAST, Immunoblotting
• Number of Patients:

  Fritsch et al. (1997) [56] report 3 patients

  Figueredo et al. (2000) [54] report 1 patient

• Summary of Results:

  Fritsch et al. (1997) [56] report RAST class 2 for pumpkinseed with sera from each of the 3 patients. One of the sera was also class 2 for grass pollen, one was class 3 grass pollen and birch pollen while one was class 5 for grass pollen, class 3 for birch, class 3 for mugwort and class 2 for wasp and bee venoms.

Immunoblotting

• Immunoblotting separation:

  Fritsch et al. (1997) [56] used 5% stacking and 12% separating SDS-PAGE gels.

  Figueredo et al. (2000) [54] used 15% and 5% SDS-PAGE for separating and stacking gels.

• Immunoblotting detection method:Fritsch et al. (1997) [56] transfered proteins to nitrocellose and used rabbit anti-IgE for detection.
• Immunoblotting results:

  Fritsch et al. (1997) [56] report pumpkinseed allergens of 13, 14, 36, 48, 77, and 87 kDa. Inhibition experiments with recombinant birch profilin were performed: IgE binding to the 14-kDa allergen was completely blocked by preincubation of the sera with recombinant birch profilin.

  Figueredo et al. (2000) [54] reported eight IgE binding bands in the pumpkin extracts in the range of 8 to 109 kDa. Immunoblotting to other Cucurbitaceae extracts showed several IgE-binding bands common with pumpkin: muskmelon (38.9 and 79.4 kDa), watermelon (8.9, 13.8, and 67.6 kDa), cucumber (8.9 and 13.8 kDa), and zucchini (8.9 kDa).
  

Oral provocation

• Number of Studies:0
• Food used and oral provocation vehicle:N/A
• Blind:N/A
• Number of Patients:N/A
• Dose response:N/A
• Symptoms:No oral provocation performed

IgE cross-reactivity and Polysensitisation

Other Clinical information

Reviews (0)

References (2)

• Figueredo E, Cuesta-Herranz J, Minguez A, Vidarte L, Pastor C, de las Heras M, Vivanco F, Lahoz C
  Allergy to pumpkin and cross-reactivity to other Cucurbitaceae fruits.
  J Allergy Clin Immunol 106: 402-403.. 2000
  PUBMEDID: 10932088
• Fritsch R, Ebner H, Kraft D, Ebner C.
  Food allergy to pumpkinseed - characterisation of allergens
  Allergy 52: 335-37.. 1997
  PUBMEDID: 9140526

Biochemical Information for Profilin

• Allergen Name:Profilin
• Alternatve Allergen Names:None
• Allergen Designation:None
• Protein Family:Profilin; Pfam PF00235
• Sequence Known?:No
• Allergen accession No.s:N/A
• 3D Structure Accession No.:Not determined
• Calculated Masses:

  Not determined

• Experimental Masses:14 kDa
• Oligomeric Masses:
• Allergen epitopes:Not known
• Allergen stability:
  Process, chemical, enzymatic:Not known
• Nature of main cross-reacting proteins:Fritsch et al. (1997) [56] report inhibition of IgE binding to the 14 kDa allergen by birch profilin, Bet v 2. This may not cause clinically relevent cross-reactivity but as there are many other profilin food allergens, there may be some giving cross-reactions due to sequence homology.
• Allergen properties & biological function:

  Profilin is an actin-binding protein of the cytoskeleton

• Allergen purification:Not reported
• Other biochemical information:

References (2)

• Figueredo E, Cuesta-Herranz J, Minguez A, Vidarte L, Pastor C, de las Heras M, Vivanco F, Lahoz C
  Allergy to pumpkin and cross-reactivity to other Cucurbitaceae fruits.
  J Allergy Clin Immunol 106: 402-403.. 2000
  PUBMEDID: 10932088
• Fritsch R, Ebner H, Kraft D, Ebner C.
  Food allergy to pumpkinseed - characterisation of allergens
  Allergy 52: 335-37.. 1997
  PUBMEDID: 9140526