New peanut allergens as a cause of anaphylaxis

Anaphylaxis can be life-threatening, so diagnostic workup is essential to detect the trigger with the aim of allergy prevention. Molecular allergology has undergone significant scientific development, which has already led to a considerable improvement in the sensitivity and specificity of molecular allergy diagnosis. Peanut is currently the leading cause of food-induced anaphylaxis in children and adolescents in Germany. Among the new peanut allergens, in particular oleosins appear to be associated with severe reactions. The newly identified peanut lipid transfer proteins (Ara h 16 and Ara h 17) show relevant IgE reactivity in both LTP syndrome and peanut-allergic patients. The potency of allergens is additionally influenced by food processing, especially roasting, which has been shown for oleosins and defensins in addition to some storage proteins.