Why can patients with baker's asthma tolerate wheat flour ingestion? Is wheat pollen allergy relevant?

Diagnosis in patients sensitised to multiple pollens is difficult due to the relationship between pollen and food allergens. Misdiagnosis is often a cause for unsuccessful specific immunotherapy. Wheat is a potent allergen source and is one of the causes of baker's asthma, food and pollen allergy. Recently, we have performed a study on pollen sensitisation in our area, where cereal crops are very important. The clinical data from 19718 patients reviewed showed that grass pollen was the main source of clinical symptoms (6369 patients, 32.30% of asthmatics). However, wheat and cereal crop pollen showed very low prevalence. On the other hand, patients with wheat flour allergy after ingestion and/or with baker's asthma were not sensitised to wheat pollen, despite it containing some common allergens. In the same way, all our asthmatic bakers (135 patients) tolerated the ingestion of bread. Here we try to explain the reason for these surprising observations. (C) 2009 SEICAP. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.