In pollen-food syndrome, fruit and vegetables allergies result from a primary sensitization to labile pollen allergens, such as Bet v 1 or profilin, and the resulting phenotype is mainly mild, consisting of local oropharyngeal reactions.
Symptoms are rapid and appear within minutes upon ingestion of the offending food. They include itching and irritation of oral tissues along with swelling and sometimes blisters and most often subside within 30 minutes.
Patients with pollen-food syndrome generally tolerate cooked forms of the fruits or vegetable to which they are allergic and allergists often recommend that they cooked reactive fruits and vegetables before ingesting them.
There is no agreement among clinicians on how to manage pollen–food syndrome. One survey
among allergists found that 53% recommended complete avoidance of the offending foods, 38% reported giving recommendations tailored to each patient, and 9% did not advocate food restrictions; 4% of the clinicians recommended avoiding potentially cross-reaction foods.
Thermal processing affects the protein structure resulting in abrogated IgE-binding and mediator-releasing capacity, while their potency to induce proliferation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells or to activate Bet v 1-specific T cells in retained.
Pollen food syndrome
