HAZEL POLLEN ALLERGY
Key Allergens
There are 3 airway allergens associated with hazel tree pollen, Cor a 1, Cor a 6 and Cor a 10. There are 8 allergens associated with eating hazelnuts, you can find more information on the
Hazelnut page.
Cor a 1 is a
Bet v 1 allergen, which means people suffering from this particular allergen will also be allergic to the pollen from birch trees.
Cor a 6 is an isoflavone reductase protein and Cor a 10 is a luminal binding protein.
Hazel pollen occurs in the UK between January and April, peaking in February. This varies in different countries. It is considered to have medium to high allergenicity.
Associated Syndromes
An allergy to hazel pollen is strongly associated with seasonal allergic rhinitis (hayfever).
An hazel pollen allergy is also linked to asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and atopic dermatitis.
As it contains a Bet v 1 protein it is strongly linked to oral allergy symptoms and
Pollen Food Allergy Syndrome - this is where eating raw fruits and vegetables can illicit an allergic reaction as they contain similarly shaped proteins.
Cross Reactivity
There is a lot of cross reactivity between tree pollens, alder, birch, hazel, chestnut, beech and hornbeam pollens all have very similar shaped proteins (Bet v 1-like).
The only other plant pollens which contain isoflavone reductase proteins are olive trees. They can also be found in food such as carrot, pear and wheat.
You can download a pollen allergens chart from my
KOFI page for just $0.90 (£0.69 or €0.82)!
Resources
Websites
Allergy UK - Allergic rhinitis
Allergen Encyclopedia - Hazel Pollen
Worcester Pollen Forecast
Alliance Allergy - Pollen Allergies UK
Allergy UK - Managing your asthma and your allergic rhinitis throughout the seasons
Articles and Journals
Allergenicity and structural properties of new Cor a 1 isoallergens from hazel identified in different plant tissues, 2024
Hazel pollen in the air of selected Polish cities, 2022
Simplified AIT for allergy to several tree pollens-Arguments from the immune outcome analyses following treatment with SQ tree SLIT-tablet, 2021
Comparative proteomics of common allergenic tree pollens of birch, alder, and hazel, 2020
Is allergy immunotherapy with birch sufficient to treat patients allergic to pollen of tree species of the birch homologous group? 2020
Birch pollen allergy in Europe, 2019
Identification of a natural ligand of the hazel allergen Cor a 1, 2019
Tree pollen allergens—an update from a molecular perspective, 2015
Panallergens and their impact on the allergic patient, 2010
Molecular cloning and characterization of hazel pollen protein (70 kD) as a luminal binding protein (BiP): a novel cross-reactive plant allergen, 2003
Identification of hazelnut major allergens in sensitive patients with positive double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge results, 2002
Let me know if you found any of these interesting or useful.
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