Current options in the management of tree nut allergy: A systematic review and narrative synthesis.

Tree nut allergy is a lifelong and potentially life-threatening condition. The standard of care is strictly avoiding the culprit nut and treating accidental reactions symptomatically. To evaluate potential therapeutic options for desensitizing patients with IgE-mediated tree nut allergy, we systematically searched three bibliographic databases for studies published until January 2024. We looked for active treatments of IgE-mediated allergy to tree nuts (walnut, hazelnut, pistachio, cashew, almond, pecan, macadamia nut, and brazil nut). We focused on allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) using oral (OIT), sublingual (SLIT), epicutaneous (EPIT), or subcutaneous (SCIT) delivery, or other disease-modifying treatments. We found 19 studies that met our criteria: 3 studies investigated sublingual immunotherapy, 5 studied oral immunotherapy to a single tree nut, and 6 used multi-food oral immunotherapy with or without omalizumab. The remaining studies investigated the effectiveness of monoclonal antibodies or IgE-immunoadsorption in multi-food allergic patients, including patients with tree nut allergy. The heterogeneity of the studies prevented pooling and meta-analysis. Oral immunotherapy, single or multi-nut, with or without omalizumab, was the most studied approach and appears effective in conferring protection from accidental exposures. Omalizumab monotherapy is the only approved alternative management for reducing allergic reactions that may occur with accidental exposure.

Effects of enzymatic hydrolysis combined with pressured heating on tree nut allergenicity.

Hazelnut, pistachio and cashew are tree nuts with health benefits but also with allergenic properties being prevalent food allergens in Europe. The allergic characteristics of these tree nuts after processing combining heat, pressure and enzymatic digestion were analyzed through in vitro (Western blot and ELISA) and in vivo test (Prick-Prick). In the analyzed population, the patients sensitized to Cor a 8 (nsLTP) were predominant over those sensitized against hazelnut seed storage proteins (Sprot, Cor a 9 and 14), which displayed higher IgE reactivity. The protease E5 effectively hydrolyzed proteins from hazelnut and pistachio, while E7 was efficient for cashew protein hydrolysis. When combined with pressured heating (autoclave and Controlled Instantaneous Depressurization (DIC)), these proteases notably reduced the allergenic reactivity. The combination of DIC treatment before enzymatic digestion resulted in the most effective methodology to drastically reduce or indeed eliminate the allergenic capacity of tree nuts.

Validation of the NUT CRACKER Diagnostic Algorithm and Prediction for Cashew and Pistachio Co-Allergy.

BACKGROUND: Because of the high cross-sensitization among tree nuts, the NUT CRACKER (Nut Co-reactivity-Acquiring Knowledge for Elimination Recommendations) study proposed a diagnostic algorithm to minimize the number of required oral food challenges (OFCs). OBJECTIVE: To validate the algorithm for cashew and pistachio allergy and determine markers for allergic severity. METHODS: Patients (n = 125) with a median age of 7.8 (interquartile range, 5.9-11.2) years with suspected tree nut allergy were evaluated prospectively with decision tree points on the basis of skin prick test (SPT), basophil activation test (BAT), and knowledge of the coincidence of allergies. Validation of allergic status was determined by OFC. Markers of clinical severity were evaluated using the combined original and prospective cohort (n = 187) in relationship to SPT, BAT, and Ana o 3-sIgE. RESULTS: Reactivity to cashew in SPT, BAT, and Ana o 3-sIgE and the incidence of abdominal pain on challenge were significantly higher in dual-allergic cashew/pistachio patients (n = 82) versus single cashew allergic patients (n = 18) (P = .001). All 3 diagnostic tests showed significant inverse correlation with log10 reaction doses for positive cashew OFC. The algorithm reduced overall the total number of OFCs by 72.0%, with a positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 93.0% and 99.0%, respectively. Cashew false-positives were observed primarily in hazelnut-allergic patients (P = .026). In this population, Ana o 3-specific IgE could diagnose cashew allergy with a sensitivity of more than 90% and a specificity of more than 95%. CONCLUSIONS: The NUT CRACKER diagnostic algorithm was validated and reduced the number of diagnostic OFCs required. Markers for severity phenotypes may guide oral immunotherapy protocols, improving the risk/benefit ratio for patients.

From Allergen Molecules to Molecular Immunotherapy of Nut Allergy: A Hard Nut to Crack.

Peanuts and tree nuts are two of the most common elicitors of immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated food allergy. Nut allergy is frequently associated with systemic reactions and can lead to potentially life-threatening respiratory and circulatory symptoms. Furthermore, nut allergy usually persists throughout life. Whether sensitized patients exhibit severe and life-threatening reactions (e.g., anaphylaxis), mild and/or local reactions (e.g., pollen-food allergy syndrome) or no relevant symptoms depends much on IgE recognition of digestion-resistant class I food allergens, IgE cross-reactivity of class II food allergens with respiratory allergens and clinically not relevant plant-derived carbohydrate epitopes, respectively. Accordingly, molecular allergy diagnosis based on the measurement of allergen-specific IgE levels to allergen molecules provides important information in addition to provocation testing in the diagnosis of food allergy. Molecular allergy diagnosis helps identifying the genuinely sensitizing nuts, it determines IgE sensitization to class I and II food allergen molecules and hence provides a basis for personalized forms of treatment such as precise prescription of diet and allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT). Currently available forms of nut-specific AIT are based only on allergen extracts, have been mainly developed for peanut but not for other nuts and, unlike AIT for respiratory allergies which utilize often subcutaneous administration, are given preferentially by the oral route. Here we review prevalence of allergy to peanut and tree nuts in different populations of the world, summarize knowledge regarding the involved nut allergen molecules and current AIT approaches for nut allergy. We argue that nut-specific AIT may benefit from molecular subcutaneous AIT (SCIT) approaches but identify also possible hurdles for such an approach and explain why molecular SCIT may be a hard nut to crack.

An Updated Overview of Almond Allergens.

Tree nuts are considered an important food in healthy diets. However, for part of the world's population, they are one of the most common sources of food allergens causing acute allergic reactions that can become life-threatening. They are part of the Big Eight food groups which are responsible for more than 90% of food allergy cases in the United States, and within this group, almond allergies are persistent and normally severe and life-threatening. Almond is generally consumed raw, toasted or as an integral part of other foods. Its dietary consumption is generally associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases. Several almond proteins have been recognized as allergens. Six of them, namely Pru du 3, Pru du 4, Pru du 5, Pru du 6, Pru du 8 and Pru du 10, have been included in the WHO-IUIS list of allergens. Nevertheless, further studies are needed in relation to the accurate characterization of the already known almond allergens or putative ones and in relation to the IgE-binding properties of these allergens to avoid misidentifications. In this context, this work aims to critically review the almond allergy problematic and, specifically, to perform an extensive overview regarding known and novel putative almond allergens.

Oral food challenge in IgE mediated food allergy in eastern Mediterranean children.

BACKGROUND: The oral food challenge (OFC) in IgE mediated food allergy causes anxiety both in parents and in patients due to its inherent risks. OBJECTIVE: Documentation of the rate, spectrum, and predictors of positive reactions is instructive. METHODS: Children, who underwent OFC between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2019 were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 1361 OFCs in 613 cases were reviewed. Most of them were performed in preschool children (≤2 years 50%) and 55% of them had more than one OFC. Mainly considered food groups were cow's milk (31.8%), hen's egg (28.5%), tree nuts (20%), legumes (7%), seeds (4.9%), and wheat (2.7%). The overall OFC positivity was 9.6%, whereas 6.7% with cow's milk, 4.9% with hen's egg, 16.1% with tree nuts, 21.6% with wheat, and 32.8% with seeds. The severity scoring revealed grade I (24.4%), II (45.8%), and III (29.7%) reactions. Fifty (38%) cases required epinephrine and four cases required hospitalization. OFCs with sesame seeds (odds ratio [OR]: 7.747, [confidence interval (CI) 95%: 4.03-14.90]), wheat (OR: 3.80, [CI: 1.64-8.84]), and tree nuts (OR: 2.78, [CI: 1.83-4.23]) predicted a positive OFC while a concomitant asthma (OR: 3.61 [CI: 1.27-10.28]) was more likely to elicit anaphylaxis. CONCLUSION: In OFC practice, priority is given to basic nutritional sources and the most frequent food allergens, where preschool children with multiple sensitizations are the primary subjects. Increased risks of positive reactions with sesame, tree nut, and wheat and increased risk of anaphylaxis with concomitant asthma should be considered while performing OFC.

Altered immune cell profiles and impaired CD4 T-cell activation in single and multi-food allergic adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 5% of adolescents have a food allergy, with peanut and tree nut allergies the most common. Having two or more food allergies in adolescence also doubles the risk of any adverse food reaction, and is associated with increased dietary and social burden. Investigations of immune function in persistently food allergic children are rare. OBJECTIVE: In the present study, we aimed to investigate the immune mechanisms that underlie food allergy in adolescence. METHODS: We used high-dimensional flow cytometry, unsupervised computational analysis and functional studies to comprehensively phenotype a range of non-antigen-specific immune parameters in a group of well-characterized adolescents with clinically defined single peanut allergy, multi-food allergy and aged-matched non-food allergic controls. RESULTS: We show that food allergic adolescents have higher circulating proportions of dendritic cells (p = .0084, FDR-adjusted p = .087, median in no FA: 0.63% live cells, in FA: 0.93%), and higher frequency of activated, memory-like Tregs relative to non-food allergic adolescents (p = .011, FDR-adjusted p = .087, median in no FA: 0.49% live cells, in FA: 0.65%). Cytokine profiling revealed that CD3/CD28 stimulated naïve CD4 T cells from food allergic adolescents produced less IL-6 (p = .0020, FDR-adjusted p = .018, median log2 fold change [stimulated/unstimulated] in no FA: 3.03, in FA: 1.92) and TNFα (p = .0044, FDR-adjusted p = .020, median in no FA: 9.16, in FA: 8.64) and may secrete less IFNγ (p = .035, FDR-adjusted p = .11, median in no FA: 6.29, in FA: 5.67) than naïve CD4 T cells from non-food allergic controls. No differences between clinical groups were observed for LPS-stimulated monocyte secretion of cytokines. CONCLUSIONS: These results have important implications for understanding the evolution of the immune response in food allergy throughout childhood, revealing that dendritic cell and T-cell signatures previously identified in early life may persist through to adolescence.

Coconut allergy: Characteristics of reactions and diagnostic predictors in a pediatric tertiary care center.

BACKGROUND: Little is known on the clinical manifestations of coconut allergy. Our knowledge to date is mainly based on case reports. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the allergic reactions to coconut and suggest diagnostic cutoffs for specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) and skin prick testing (SPT) to predict clinically reactive coconut allergy. METHODS: Methods include retrospective chart review at an urban tertiary care center of patients with positive testing result for coconut. Probability curves were computed by logistic regression for SPT and coconut sIgE. RESULTS: Of 275 records reviewed, 69 patients reported coconut reactions and 206 were sensitized only or nonallergic. The reactions occurred with breastfeeding (n = 2), contact (n = 10), or oral ingestion (n = 57). Approximately 50% of oral ingestion reactions were associated with mild/moderate anaphylaxis. Clinical reactivity vs sensitization was more common in topical coconut users (2-fold) (P = .02). Although not statistically significant, there was a trend toward more coconut allergy vs sensitization in Asian and African American patients. The probability of allergy with positive SPT result was approximately 50% and with sIgE was approximately 60%. At an SPT of 9 mm wheal or sIgE of 58 kU of allergen/L, there is a 95% probability of reaction. Cosensitization with tree nuts, legumes, and seeds was common. Macadamia nut had the strongest correlation with coconut (r = 0.81, P < .001, n = 101). CONCLUSION: Although the rate of reactivity to coconut in sensitized individuals is low, half of the reactions from consumption met the criteria for anaphylaxis. Clinicians should be aware of the spectrum of reactions and diagnostic use of sIgE and SPT.

Effect of deglycosylation on immunoreactivity and in vitro pepsin digestibility of major cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) allergen, Ana o 1.

Major cashew allergen, Ana o 1, was purified in its native form from cashew seeds and subjected to enzymatic deglycosylation using PNGase F to assess the potential role of N-glycans in immunoreactivity. Western and dot blotting with pooled human plasma containing anticashew IgE revealed that deglycosylation increased IgE-binding of Ana o 1. Removal of N-glycans may have exposed previously masked Ana o 1 epitopes. Purified glycosylated and deglycosylated Ana o 1 were also subjected to in vitro pepsin digestion at pH 3.0 for 2 hr. Both glycosylated and deglycosylated Ana o 1 remained stable and reactive with IgE antibodies following digestion. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Understanding the role of glycosylation in Ana o 1 immunoreactivity may provide insight into the potential development of hypoallergenic cashews/cashew products for sensitive individuals in the future.

Pistachio and cashew nut allergy in childhood: Predictive factors towards development of a decision tree.

BACKGROUND: Pistachio and cashew nut, which belong to the same botanical family, are tree nuts that induce serious allergic reactions. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine the predictive factors for pistachio and cashew nut reactivity during oral food challenge (OFC). METHODS: A total of 112 pistachio and/or cashew nut sensitized children, aged 58.45 (IQR:40.38-88.32) months, were included. Cutoff values and probability curves for skin prick test (SPT), sIgE, sIgE/Total IgE that predict reactivity were determined for pistachio and cashew nut. Additionally, a diagram was created that can be useful while making a decision for OFC based on SPT and sIgE values. RESULTS: A total of 73 patients underwent OFC with pistachio and/or cashew nut. Twelve children with current anaphylaxis history were not challenged and accepted as allergic. SPT was the only predictive factor for positive pistachio/ cashew nut OFC. According to area under curve (AUC) analysis, SPT was more predictive than sIgE and sIgE/Total IgE both for pistachio and cashew nut. Optimal cutoff values according to "Youden index" for pistachio SPT, sIgE, and sIgE/ Total IgE were 7.25 mm, 4.14 kUA/L, and 1.32%, respectively. And those values for cashew nut SPT, sIgE, and sIgE/Total IgE were 6.25 mm, 1.125 kUA/L, and 3.30%, respectively. The diagram showed that SPT predicted the reactivity together with sIgE better than only the SPT values. CONCLUSION: SPT was the best predictor for reactivity both for pistachio and cashew nut. Combined use of SPT and sIgE may improve the prediction of reactivity at pistachio and cashew nut OFCs in children.

Epitope mapping of the major allergen 2S albumin from pine nut.

The epitopes of the major allergen of pine nut, Pin p 1, were analyzed using a peptide library and sera from patients with clinical allergy to pine nut in order to deepen into the allergenic characteristics of Pin p 1. Analyses of epitope similarities and epitopes location in a 3D-model were also performed. Results showed that three main regions of Pin p 1 containing 5 epitopes were recognized by patient sera IgE. The epitopes of Pin p 1 had important similarities with epitopes of allergenic 2S albumins from peanut (Ara h 2 and 6) and Brazil nut (Ber e 1). The epitopes of Pin p 1 were found in α-helices and coils in the 3D protein structure. Interestingly, all epitopes were found to be well-exposed in the protein surface, which suggests facile access for IgE-binding to the structure of Pin p 1 which is known to be highly resistant.

Microbiological, Physicochemical, and Immunological Analysis of a Commercial Cashew Nut-Based Yogurt.

Nut-based milks and yogurts are gaining popularity, but may not offer the same benefits as dairy yogurts to consumers. Cashew nuts often cause severe allergic reactions, and cashew nut allergens are stable to several types of processing. To compare its characteristics to dairy yogurt and characterize the effects of fermentation on the Ana o 1-3 cashew nut allergens, a commercial yogurt made from cashew nuts (Cashewgurt) was evaluated for microbiological, physiochemical, and immunological properties. Average counts for lactobacilli and Streptococcus thermophilus were greater than 10 million colony forming units per milliliter, indicating the capacity to provide a health benefit. Cashewgurt pH and viscosity values were comparable to cow milk yogurts, and it was off white in color. SDS-PAGE analysis indicated a clear reduction in Ana o 1 and 2, and immuno-assay with polyclonal anti-cashew IgG antibody and cashew-allergic IgE indicated an overall reduction in allergen content. In contrast, SDS-PAGE, mass spectrometry, immunoblot, and ELISA all revealed that Ana o 3 was relatively unaffected by the fermentation process. In conclusion, Ana o 1 and Ana o 2 are sensitive to degradation, while Ana o 3 survives lactic acid bacterial fermentation during yogurt production. The analysis presented here indicates that cashew nut yogurt is not suitable for those with cashew nut allergy.