Lipid transfer protein allergy and anaphylaxis in children

Abstract

Lipid transfer protein (LTP) is a pan-allergen widely distributed in plants, including Rosaceae family fruits, non-Rosaceae family fruits (such as Vitaceae, Solanaceae and Oleaceae), tree nuts, legumes, vegetables, cereals, seeds and latex1. Food allergy (FA) to LTP is an IgE-mediated allergy with increasing incidence in children2. Studies from Spain report that LTP allergy explains 5% of cases of pediatric FA and that up to 26% of children with a history of reactions to vegetables/fruits are LTP sensitized2, which can develop through direct gastrointestinal, cutaneous or respiratory exposure to LTP2, with current evidence arguing against a primary pollen sensitization3.