Sesame seed allergy.

ABSTRACT: In the US, sesame was recognized as the ninth major food allergen in 2021, underscoring the importance of updated allergen labeling to facilitate effective prevention plans and anaphylaxis response. This article discusses the prevalence of sesame seed allergy among children in the US and outlines strategies for nurses to understand the assessment, treatment, and education of patients regarding this allergen.

Sesame eliciting and safe doses in a large sesame allergic population.

BACKGROUND: Sesame is a significant food allergen causing severe and even fatal reactions. Given its increasing prevalence in western diet, sesame is listed as an allergenic food requiring labeling in the United States and EU. However, data on the population reaction doses to sesame are limited. METHODS: All sesame oral food challenges (OFCs), performed either for diagnosis or for threshold identification before the beginning of sesame oral immunotherapy (OIT) between November 2011 and July 2021 in Shamir medical center were analyzed for reaction threshold distribution. Safe-dose challenges with 90-120 min intervals were also analyzed. RESULTS: Two hundred and fifty patients underwent 338 positive OFCs, and additional 158 safe-dose OFCs were performed. The discrete and cumulative protein amounts estimated to elicit an objective reaction in 1% (ED01) of the entire cohort (n = 250) were 0.8 mg (range 0.3-6.3) and 0.7 mg (range 0.1-7.1), respectively, and those for 5% of the population (ED05) were 3.4 mg (range 1.2-20.6) and 4.5 mg (range 1.2-28.8), respectively. Safe-dose OFCs showed similar values of ED01 (0.8, 0.4-7.5 mg) and ED05 (3.4, 1.2-22.9 mg). While doses of ≤1 mg sesame protein elicited oral pruritus in 11.6% of the patients, no objective reaction was documented to this amount in any of the challenges, including safe-dose OFCs. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides data on sesame reaction threshold distribution in the largest population of allergic patients studied, with no right or left censored data, and with validation using a safe-dose OFC. It further supports the current methods for ED determination as appropriate for establishing safety precautions for the food industry.

Sesame allergy in children: New insights into diagnosis and management.

Sesame is a potentially potent allergen that can trigger skin, gastrointestinal, and respiratory tract symptoms, and anaphylaxis. Only 20% to 30% of sesame-allergic children develop tolerance. The prevalence of sesame allergy depends on local diets and ranges from 0.1% to 0.9%. A high risk of accidental exposure to sesame has resulted in mandatory food labeling in many countries. More than half of patients with sesame allergy are also allergic to peanut/tree nuts. Serum-specific IgE testing with a quantitative Ses i 1 component can be performed safely and has higher clinical specificity and better positive predictive value for oral food challenge (OFC) than whole sesame extract or skin prick testing (SPT). Compared with SPT or OFC, in vitro Ses i 1 testing requires no special techniques and carries no risk of reactions. Diagnosis of suspected sesame allergy begins with a thorough history and physical examination. A positive sesame extract test (≥0.1 kUA /L) should prompt further testing. In patients with a high probability of reacting, results of component testing may facilitate a decision about performing an OFC. In a Japanese study of OFC and Ses i 1, there was a 5% probability of a positive OFC with Ses i 1 sIgE levels <0.13 kUA /L, and a 50% probability of a positive OFC with levels >32.0 kUA /L. Most patients could safely consume sesame if sIgE levels were <0.13 kUA /L. Ses i 1 testing can be used to guide appropriate management (avoidance, emergency medication, and oral immunotherapy).

Open sesame: Shedding light on an emerging global allergen.

BACKGROUND: Sesame allergy has been characterized in the Middle East for some time. However, it has become more widely recognized as foods containing sesame and sesame seeds have become increasingly available in Australia, Europe, and North America. With the passage of the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research Act in 2021, the United States will join other countries in identifying sesame as a major food allergen and require sesame to be labeled as a food allergen beginning in 2023. OBJECTIVE: To review the literature related to sesame allergy as an increasingly recognized food allergen around the world. DATA SOURCES: English-language articles retrieved by PubMed searches with relevance to sesame allergy. STUDY SELECTIONS: Articles were included using the search terms "sesame allergy" and "sesame seed allergy." RESULTS: A total of 69 relevant articles regarding sesame allergy, relating to its prevalence, clinical presentation, natural history, allergenic epitopes, diagnosis, and treatment, were selected. CONCLUSION: In recent decades, considerable gains have been made in determining prevalence and natural history of sesame allergy. With increased recognition and prevalence come the need for reliable methods of identification of sesame allergy and approaches for management.

Sesame-induced anaphylaxis in pediatric patients from the cross-Canada anaphylaxis registry.

BACKGROUND: Sesame can cause severe allergic reactions and is a priority allergen in Canada. OBJECTIVE: To assess clinical characteristics and management of pediatric sesame-induced anaphylaxis and identify factors associated with epinephrine treatment. METHODS: Between 2011 and 2021, children with sesame-induced anaphylaxis presenting to 7 emergency departments (ED) in 4 Canadian provinces and 1 regional emergency medical service were enrolled in the Cross-Canada Anaphylaxis Registry. Standardized recruitment forms provided data on symptoms, severity, triggers, and management. Multivariate logistic regression evaluated associations with epinephrine treatment pre-ED and multiple epinephrine dosages. RESULTS: Of all food-induced anaphylactic reactions (n = 3279 children), sesame accounted for 4.0% (n = 130 children), of which 61.5% were boys, and the average (SD) age was 5.0 (4.9) years. Hummus containing sesame paste triggered 58.8% of reactions. In the pre-ED setting, 32.3% received epinephrine, and it was more likely to be used in boys (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-1.50) and those with a known food allergy (aOR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.11-1.68]). In the ED, 47.7% of cases received epinephrine, with older children more likely to receive multiple epinephrine doses (aOR, 1.00; 95% CI, 1.00-1.02). CONCLUSION: In Canada, hummus is the major trigger of sesame-induced anaphylaxis. Knowledge translation focused on prompt epinephrine use and product-labeling policies are required to limit sesame reactions in communities.

Adverse events and labeling issues related to suspected sesame allergy reported in an online survey.

BACKGROUND: Allergen avoidance is critical for those with immunoglobulin E-mediated food allergy, but can only be successful with accurate product information. Although the Food and Drug Administration maintains the Center for Food Safety and Nutrition Adverse Event Reporting System to collect adverse event (AE) reports related to foods, there is substantial underreporting, and information regarding product labeling issues is limited. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe allergic reactions associated with accidental oral exposure to sesame and the role of product labeling. METHODS: A questionnaire was developed and disseminated to online communities focused on sesame allergy. The questionnaire included questions on clinical characteristics, treatments, outcomes, and labeling issues. RESULTS: A total of 360 clinical reactions related to sesame were reviewed in 327 individuals. Anaphylaxis occurred in 68.9% of reactions. Hospitalization occurred in 47.8% of events and epinephrine was administered in 36.4% of cases. Events involving a packaged food product occurred in 67.5% of AEs with only 43.8% of these using the term "sesame." An alternative name was noted in 46.0% of products that did not include "sesame" on labeling, most of which was "tahini." CONCLUSION: We determined considerable sesame food allergy morbidity, in part owing to inconsistent allergen labeling. Our findings support the development of a more rapid process for the Food and Drug Administration to update the major allergen list and formulation of an improved system for reporting AEs related to foods.

Comparison of Diagnostic Tests with Oral Food Challenge in a Clinical Trial for Adult Patients with Sesame Anaphylaxis.

Sesame food allergy (SFA); especially anaphylaxis, is a life-threatening condition. The accurate diagnosis of SFA is done by skin prick test (SPT), skin prick to prick (SPP) or specific IgE (sIgE) and is confirmed by oral food challenge (OFC). Since there are few studies evaluating and comparing the utility of these methods for diagnosis of sesame anaphylaxis in adult patients, we aimed to compare OFC with diagnostic tests, including SPT, SPP, and sesames IgE; using ImmunoCAP considering the sensitivity and specificity issues in patients with sesame anaphylaxis. Twenty patients with sesame anaphylaxis were diagnosed based on OFC. Then SPT, SPP, and sIgE were evaluated. Sixteen patients had positive OFC; while 4 patients had negative results. Out of 16 OFC+ patients, 7 patients were SPT+, 15 patients were SPP+, and 2 patients had detectable sIgE. A positive SPT indicated 44% sensitivity and 50% specificity. A positive SPP showed 87.5% sensitivity and 75% specificity. A positive ImmunoCAP test demonstrated 12.5% sensitivity and 75% specificity. The AUC of SPP was significant for the diagnosis of sesame anaphylaxis (p=0.038). In conclusion, when the OFC is not possible, the SPP test with natural sesame seed may be applicable in patients with a convincing history instead of the artificial or commercial extracts of sesame used for SPT. Positive SPP is a good alternative diagnostic method for patients with sesame anaphylaxis. Also, the poor sensitivity of SPT and sIgE may indicate the poor discriminative capability of these tests.

Prevalence and Severity of Sesame Allergy in the United States.

Importance: Sesame allergy is of growing concern in the United States. The US Food and Drug Administration recently issued a request for epidemiological data on the prevalence and severity of sesame allergies in the United States to inform possible regulatory action requiring sesame to be labeled as an allergen on packaged foods. Objective: To provide current estimates of the prevalence, severity, distribution, and clinical characteristics of sesame allergy in the United States. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study assessed findings of web- and telephone-based food allergy questionnaires. Study participants were first recruited from NORC (National Opinion Research Center) at the University of Chicago's probability-based AmeriSpeak panel, and additional participants were recruited through Survey Sampling International. Surveys were administered to a nationally representative sample of 51 819 US households from October 1, 2015, through September 31, 2016. Responses for 40 453 adults and 38 408 children were included in the analysis. Data were analyzed from January 1, 2017, through May 1, 2019. Exposures: Demographic and allergic characteristics of participants. Main Outcomes and Measures: Self-reported sesame allergy was the main outcome and was considered convincing if reported symptoms to sesame-allergic reactions were consistent with an IgE-mediated reaction. Diagnostic history of specific allergens and use of food allergy-related health care services were also primary outcomes. Results: Using survey responses from 78 851 individuals, an estimated 0.49% (95% CI, 0.40%-0.58%) of the US population reported a current sesame allergy, whereas 0.23% (95% CI, 0.19%-0.28%) met symptom-report criteria for convincing IgE-mediated allergy. An additional 0.11% (95% CI, 0.08%-0.16%) had a sesame allergy reported as physician diagnosed but did not report reactions fulfilling survey-specified convincing reaction symptoms. Among individuals with convincing IgE-mediated sesame allergy, an estimated 23.6% (95% CI, 16.9%-32.0%) to 37.2% (95% CI, 29.2%-45.9%) had previously experienced a severe sesame-allergic reaction, depending on the definition used, and 81.6% (95% CI, 71.0%-88.9%) of patients with convincing sesame allergy had at least 1 additional convincing food allergy. Roughly one-third of patients with convincing sesame allergy (33.7%; 95% CI, 26.3%-42.0%) reported previous epinephrine use for sesame allergy treatment. Conclusions and Relevance: These data indicate a substantial burden of sesame allergy and provide valuable context to physicians and policy makers in their efforts to evaluate and reduce the public health burden of sesame allergy. Moreover, the relatively low rates of physician diagnosis observed among individuals with convincing IgE-mediated sesame allergy seem to indicate the need for clear diagnosis and appropriate management.

Efficacy and Safety of Sesame Oral Immunotherapy-A Real-World, Single-Center Study.

BACKGROUND: The presence of sesame in Western diet is increasing, making its avoidance by sesame-allergic patients more challenging. OBJECTIVE: To report the efficacy and safety of sesame oral immunotherapy (OIT). METHODS: Sixty patients aged 4 years or older, diagnosed as sesame-allergic on the basis of a positive oral food challenge, were consecutively enrolled into OIT between November 2014 and November 2017. Fifteen patients with sesame allergy, based on a positive oral food challenge or a recent immediate reaction, and a positive skin prick test result or specific IgE, continued sesame elimination and served as observational controls. Immunologic parameters were measured in a subset (OIT, n = 16; controls, n = 11) at the start and end of the study. Fully desensitized patients continued daily consumption of 1200 mg sesame protein and challenged with 4000 mg after more than 6 months. RESULTS: Fifty-three OIT-treated patients (88.4%) were fully desensitized to sesame, compared with 0% of controls. Four additional patients (total 57 of 60 = 95%) were desensitized to more than 1000 mg protein. Reactions occurred in 4.7% of hospital doses and 1.9% of home doses. Epinephrine-treated reactions occurred in 16.7% of patients for hospital and 8.3% for home doses. Significant decreases in rSes i 1 IgE (P = .007) and basophil reactivity (P = .001) and increases in sesame and rSes i 1 IgG4 (P = .001) occurred in OIT-treated patients but not in controls. Forty-seven patients desensitized to 4000 mg were evaluated more than 6 months after reaching maintenance. Only mild reactions were reported during maintenance, and all passed the 4000-mg challenge. CONCLUSIONS: Sesame-OIT is an effective alternative to sesame avoidance in allergic patients. The potential for adverse events necessitates its performance in specialized centers.

Evaluation of the basophil activation test and skin prick testing for the diagnosis of sesame food allergy.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of sesame food allergy (SFA) has increased over recent years, with the potential of anaphylactic reactions upon exposure. Oral food challenge (OFC) remains the diagnostic standard, yet its implementation may be risky. Commercial skin prick tests (SPT) have a low sensitivity. Investigation of alternate diagnostic methods is warranted. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the utility of SPT and the basophil activation test (BAT) for SFA diagnosis. METHODS: Eighty-two patients with suspected SFA completed an open OFC to sesame or reported a recent confirmed reaction. Patients were administered skin prick tests (SPT) with commercial sesame seed extract (CSSE) and a high protein concentration sesame extract (HPSE) (100 mg/mL protein). Whole blood from 80 patients was stimulated with sesame seed extract (40-10 000 ng/mL protein) for BAT), assessing CD63 and CD203c as activation markers. RESULTS: Sixty patients (73%) had IgE-mediated reactions to sesame, and 22 (27%) did not react. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.87 for HPSE-SPT and 0.66 for CSSE-SPT. At 1000 ng/mL of sesame protein, induction of CD63 and CD203c was weakly but significantly associated with OFC eliciting dose by rank (Spearman's rho = -.42 (P < .01) and -.35 (P < .05) for CD63 and CD203c, respectively). By ROC analysis, the AUC was 0.86 for CD63 and was 0.81 for CD203c sesame-induced basophil expression. Using HPSE-SPT as a first test to definitively diagnose (n = 24) or rule-out (n = 5) SFA and BAT as a second test to diagnose the remainder results in the correct classification of 73 of 80 (91%) patients, leaving one false negative and 4 false positive patients. Two BAT non-responders remain unclassified by this algorithm. CONCLUSIONS & CLINICAL RELEVANCE: While prospective cohort validation is necessary, joint utilization of BAT and SPT with HPSE extract may obviate the need for OFC in most SFA patients.

Changes in the Anti-Allergic Activities of Sesame by Bioconversion.

Sesame is an important oilseed crop, which has been used as a traditional health food to ameliorate the prevention of various diseases. We evaluated the changes in the anti-allergic activities of sesame by bioconversion. SDS-PAGE of non-fermented sesame proteins showed major allergen bands, while that of fermented sesame showed only a few protein bands. Additionally, we investigated the effectiveness of fermented sesame by bioconversion in tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)- and interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-induced HaCaT cells. In HaCaT cells, fermented sesame inhibited the mRNA expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), thymus and macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC/CCL22), activation-regulated chemokine (TARC/CCL17), and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). Moreover, fermented sesame inhibited the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1). Fermented sesame exerts anti-allergic effects by suppressing the expression of chemokines and cytokines via blockade of NF-κB and STAT1 activation.

Food Allergy Is an Important Risk Factor for Childhood Asthma, Irrespective of Whether It Resolves.

BACKGROUND: The risk of developing asthma in those with early food allergy is unknown, particularly when early life food allergy has resolved. OBJECTIVE: To understand whether challenge-proven food allergy in infancy increases the risk of asthma at age 4 years, using data from a population-based cohort. METHODS: A total of 5,276 12-month-old infants were recruited using a population-based sampling frame. Infants underwent skin prick test to egg, peanut, and sesame and those with a detectable skin prick test result had oral food challenges. At age 4 years, food challenges were repeated to determine persistence or resolution of food allergy. The association between food allergy and doctor-diagnosed asthma was examined using binomial regression in 2,789 participants. RESULTS: Children with food allergy at age 1 year had an increased risk of asthma (1 food allergy: relative risk [RR], 1.69; 95% CI, 1.29-2.21; 2 or more food allergies: RR, 2.76; 95% CI, 1.94-3.92). The risk of asthma was highest in children with food allergy and coexistent eczema in infancy (RR, 2.87; 95% CI, 2.22-3.70). Transient food allergy and persistent food allergy were both associated with an increased risk of asthma (transient egg allergy: RR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.46-2.51; persistent egg allergy: RR, 2.60; 95% CI, 1.76-3.85). CONCLUSIONS: Asthma at age 4 years is twice as common in those with challenge-proven food allergy at age 1 year, irrespective of whether the food allergy subsequently resolves. Children with 2 or more food allergies and those with coexistent eczema were almost 3 times as likely to develop asthma compared with those with no food allergies.

The prevalence of food allergy and other allergic diseases in early childhood in a population-based study: HealthNuts age 4-year follow-up.

BACKGROUND: The HealthNuts study previously reported interim prevalence data showing the highest prevalence of challenge-confirmed food allergy in infants internationally. However, population-derived prevalence data on challenge-confirmed food allergy and other allergic diseases in preschool-aged children remain sparse. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to report the updated prevalence of food allergy at age 1 year from the whole cohort, and to report the prevalence of food allergy, asthma, eczema, and allergic rhinitis at age 4 years. METHODS: HealthNuts is a population-based cohort study with baseline recruitment of 5276 one-year-old children who underwent skin prick test (SPT) to 4 food allergens and those with detectable SPT results had formal food challenges. At age 4 years, parents completed a questionnaire (81.3% completed) and those who previously attended the HealthNuts clinic at age 1 year or reported symptoms of a new food allergy were invited for an assessment that included SPT and oral food challenges. Data on asthma, eczema, and allergic rhinitis were captured by validated International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaires. RESULTS: The prevalence of challenge-confirmed food allergy at age 1 and 4 years was 11.0% and 3.8%, respectively. At age 4 years, peanut allergy prevalence was 1.9% (95% CI, 1.6% to 2.3%), egg allergy was 1.2% (95% CI, 0.9% to 1.6%), and sesame allergy was 0.4% (95% CI, 0.3% to 0.6%). Late-onset peanut allergy at age 4 years was rare (0.2%). The prevalence of current asthma was 10.8% (95% CI, 9.7% to 12.1%), current eczema was 16.0% (95% CI, 14.7% to 17.4%), and current allergic rhinitis was 8.3% (95% CI, 7.2% to 9.4%). Forty percent to 50% of this population-based cohort experienced symptoms of an allergic disease in the first 4 years of their life. CONCLUSIONS: Although the prevalence of food allergy decreased between age 1 year and age 4 years in this population-based cohort, the prevalence of any allergic disease among 4-year-old children in Melbourne, Australia, is remarkably high.

Hypersensitivities to sesame and other common edible seeds.

Several seeds have been increasingly incorporated in various food items, with consequent risk of hypersensitivity reactions that are often severe. Identification of the specific seed as the culprit is often not explored or is difficult to verify. In this article, we reviewed the English literature from January 1930 to March 2016 using PubMed and Google Scholar searching for publications relevant to hypersensitivity to common edible seeds, namely sesame, sunflower seed, poppy seed, pumpkin seed, flaxseed, and mustard seed. Considering the worldwide consumption of those seeds, the number of published articles on the subject was relatively small and was mainly as case reports rather than large series. Allergy to sesame was more reported than to other seeds, with an estimated prevalence of 0.1-0.2%. In this review, we summarize the information relevant to each of the six seeds and their oils regarding the manifestations, routes of exposure, identified major allergens, and cross-reactivity with other seeds or other foods. We also addressed the important role of a thorough history taking in suspecting seed allergy, the limited reliability of routine diagnostic procedures, and the importance of verification by appropriate challenge tests. At present, management is basically dietary avoidance and the use of symptomatic medications that may include epinephrine auto-injectors. We did not encounter any well-designed studies on immunotherapy for seed allergy, but it is hoped that such a gap be filled by the development of safe effective protocols in the near future.

Aflatoxin B1 in sesame seeds and sesame products from the Greek market.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is considered as the most potent liver carcinogen for humans. A method for determination in sesame seeds was developed. AFB1 was extracted by methanol-water, cleaned by immunoaffinity columns and determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The recovery factor and the limit of detection (LOD) of AFB1 in sesame seeds were 111.5% and 0.02 ng g(-1), respectively. Thirty samples of sesame products were examined for the presence of AFB1. After analysis, 77.6% of samples were found to be contaminated. Eight samples exceeded the European Union (EU) limit (2 µg AFB1 kg(-1)). In 15 samples, AFB1 was below the EU limit. Seven samples remained below the LOD. The most contaminated (14.49 ng AFB1 g(-1)) sample was unpeeled packaged sesame seeds. In all samples, aflatoxigenic Aspergilli fungi as well as the risk for AFB1 presence in sesame seed was investigated.