ALLERGY TO OLIVE FRUIT: LIPID TRANSFER PROTEIN SYNDROME

A 40-year-old female was previously diagnosed with asthma and rhino-conjunctivitis due to pollen sensitisation and food allergy to several fruits and nuts. She had two episodes of itching and generalised urticaria after the ingestion of olive fruit, one as a natural edible food and the other after eating a pizza. We could see differences in a skin-prick test, and immunoblotting results, depending on the stage of ripeness of the fruit. The main allergen implicated was the non-specific lipid transfer protein, Ole e 7. The patient had also had many episodes with other lipid transfer protein fruits/nuts, so we can define it as a lipid transfer protein syndrome. We present a clinical case of olive fruit allergy in the context of a lipid transfer protein syndrome. We could demonstrate by in vivo and in vitro means that the main allergen responsible for the reactions was Ole e 7, a lipid transfer protein. A previous pollen sensitisation to Oleaceae family is not necessarily required. We could also observe differences in sensitisation according to the stage of ripeness of the fruit.