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Reviews

 

Cross-reactivity Syndromes in Food Allergy

 

BE García, MT Lizaso

Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain

J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol 2011; Vol. 21(3): 162-170

 

 Abstract


The immunological phenomenon of cross-reactivity has consequences for the diagnosis and treatment of certain food allergies. Once allergy
to a particular food has been confirmed, positive test results are often obtained against other foods and, although less frequently, true
clinical cross-reactivity is determined. This article reviews the relevant clinical aspects of food allergies in which the underlying mechanism
is cross-reactivity between foods that are both related and unrelated taxonomically.

Key words: Food allergy. Food hypersensitivity. Allergens. Allergenic components. Cross-reactivity