This is a simplified description of cyclophilin proteins – there are more resources available at the bottom of the page for further reading for those who are interested in knowing more.

What are cyclophilin proteins?

Cyclophilins are a subgroup of proteins called immunophilins. They are found in all organisms including animals, fungi and plants. In plants and fungi they have the potential to act as airway allergens, but can also act as a food allergen. The proteins are involved in cellular processes, including protein folding and immune response regulation.

Cyclophilin proteins are considered to be minor panallergens. They are less commonly associated with allergy than Lipid Transfer Proteins and seed storage proteins, but have become more studied in recent years.

Which foods contain cyclophilin proteins?

The World Health Organization (WHO) recognises 2 cyclophilin allergens which have been identified as causing allergic reactions after consumption of food.

Tomato and peanuts both contain cyclophilin proteins.

Which pollens contain cyclophilin proteins?

The World Health Organization (WHO) recognises 3 cyclophilin allergens which have been identified as causing airway allergic reactions.

These pollens include olive, rosy periwinkle and birch pollen.

If you are interested in which foods contain which allergenic proteins you can visit the Food Allergy Tool Page.

Which else contains cyclophilin proteins?

Cyclophilin proteins are also found in moulds, yeast, dust mites, cockroaches and magic mushrooms.

What symptoms do they cause?

Allergy to foods, pollens or animals containing cyclophilin proteins have a wide range of symptoms and severity including urticaria (hives or welts), angioedema (swelling under the skin), nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting or breathlessness and anaphylactic shock.

What is the importance of knowing whether a reaction is to cyclophilin proteins or other allergens?

Multiple allergies are becoming more common and this often leads people to impose a strict restrictive diet on themselves. This can lead to a poor diet lacking in essential nutrients and frustration over a lack of eating options. Knowing which foods are the most likely to be causing your reactions can bring more options back into your diet.

This is why food diaries continue to be an important tool in diagnosis of your allergies – noting the times reactions took place and what medications were taken are a necessary starting point for a proper diagnosis.

There is more information on food diaries HERE.

Science Direct - Cyclophilin

Allergenicity and Conformational Diversity of Allergens, 2024

Peanut Allergy and Component-Resolved Diagnostics Possibilities — What Are the Benefits? 2023

Tomato Allergy: The Characterization of the Selected Allergens and Antioxidants of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) — A Review, 2022

From Allergen Molecules to Molecular Immunotherapy of Nut Allergy: A Hard Nut to Crack, 2021

Olive pollen allergens: an insight into clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic concepts of allergy, 2021

Molecular characterization of a fungal cyclophilin allergen Rhi o 2 and elucidation of antigenic determinants responsible for IgE–cross-reactivity, 2020

CyPE is an essential element of allergen cyclophilin family, 2020

Helminth Allergens, Parasite-Specific IgE, and Its Protective Role in Human Immunity, 2014

Cyclophilins, 2013

Cloning and expression of the cyclophilin Bet v 7, and analysis of immunological cross-reactivity among the cyclophilin A family, 2006

The cyclophilins, 2005

Cyclophilins, a new family of cross-reactive allergens, 2002

Let me know if you found any of these interesting or useful. If you spot an article or research that you think is interesting you can message me or tag me on Facebook or Twitter - links at the bottom of the page.