Combining Analyses of Basophil Allergen Threshold Sensitivity, CD-sens, and IgE Antibodies to Hydrolyzed Wheat, ω-5 Gliadin and Timothy Grass Enhances the Prediction of Wheat Challenge Outcome

Abstract

Background: Wheat is a common food causing allergy which has implications on the quality of life. The diagnosis of IgE-mediated wheat allergy is based on the clinical history and presence of IgE antibodies (IgE-Ab) in skin or blood, and the results of an oral food challenge which is time consuming and associated with risks. An improved diagnostic workup is needed for wheat allergy. The objective was to examine the relationship between wheat challenge, CD-sens and IgE-Ab to related allergens in wheat-allergic children and investigate if a combination of different markers could enhance the prediction of challenge outcome. Method: Twenty-four children (aged 1-15 years) with a wheat allergy diagnosis underwent an open wheat challenge. CD-sens and IgE-Ab to wheat, hydrolyzed wheat protein (HWP), ω-5 gliadin and timothy grass were analyzed and related to the challenge outcome. Results: A positive challenge was seen in 12/24 children. Children reacting to the challenge had higher IgE-Ab concentrations to wheat, ω-5 gliadin and HWP (p < 0.01) and a tendency to higher wheat CD-sens values (p = 0.08) than nonreacting children. Combining wheat CD-sens >150 and IgE-Ab to wheat >20 kU_A/l, or ω-5 gliadin >0.1 kU_A/l predicted the challenge outcome in 83% of the patients. Most children with IgE-Ab to wheat also had IgE-Ab to timothy. Seven of 9 challenge-positive children had a positive CD-sens to HWP and IgE-Ab to HWP >8 kU_A/l. Conclusion: Combining CD-sens and IgE-Ab to wheat or wheat components could be useful in the diagnosis and follow-up of wheat-allergic children.

Exploratory analysis of CD63 and CD203c expression in basophils from hazelnut sensitized and allergic individuals

“…Considering CD-sens, a correlation was detected for CD203c but not CD63. Thus, the BAT can be used as a functional assay to detect sensitization status, which had been shown previously [26]. However, in our hands, CD203c seems to be superior compared to CD63.…”

Wheat allergy in children evaluated with challenge and IgE antibodies to wheat components

“…Many wheat-allergic individuals have been shown to be sensitized to a-, b-, c-, and/or x-gliadins as well as high and low molecular weight glutenins (HMW-glutenin and LMW-glutenin, respectively) (8)(9)(10)(11). Several studies have demonstrated that IgE-ab to x-5 gliadin is associated with wheat allergy, both wheatdependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (WDEIA) in adolescents and adults (10,12) and immediate allergic reactions to wheat in children (13)(14)(15)(16)(17). However, the latter has not been confirmed in all studies (18).…”

News in Cellular Allergology: A Review of the Human Mast Cell and Basophil Granulocyte Literature from January 2013 to May 2015

“…The provocation outcome of wheat-sensitised patients could be predicted with a combination of basophil sensitivity and s-IgE to wheat allergen [55]. Spontaneous CD203c expression on blood basophils and basophil reactivity correlate with the degree of tolerance among patients with cow's milk allergy [56].…”