Food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis: a case related to chickpea ingestion and review

Emerging and Novel Elicitors of Anaphylaxis: Collegium Internationale Allergologicum Update 2024

BACKGROUND

Anaphylaxis represents the most severe end of the spectrum of allergic reactions. Frequent elicitors of anaphylaxis are insects, foods, and drugs. This paper summarizes recent development with regard to emerging and novel elicitors of anaphylaxis.

SUMMARY

Food allergens on the rise include pulses (like pea, chickpea), seeds (hemp, chia), nuts (cashew), pseudograins (buckwheat, quinoa), fruits, and microalgae. Novel foods are foods that were not consumed to any significant extent in the European Union before May 1997, which includes four edible insects (mealworm, migratory locust, house cricket, and buffalo worm). Recent investigations have pointed out the risk of anaphylaxis associated with the consumption of yellow mealworm for people allergic to shellfish and house dust mites. In Europe, fire ants (mostly Solenopsis invicta) and Vespa velutina nigrithorax represent invasive species, which account for increasing numbers of anaphylactic reactions. Also, several new drugs, especially biologicals, have been associated with anaphylaxis.

KEY MESSAGES

Elicitors of anaphylaxis are changing as a result of (i) increase in demand for plant-based food, (ii) introduction of novel foods, (iii) spreading of allergens by climate changes and globalization, or (iv) due to exposure to newly developed drugs.

When Foods Cause Itch: Clinical Characteristics, Pathophysiology, and Recommendations for Food-Induced Skin and Mucosal Pruritus

Itch occurs in various dermatologic and systemic conditions. Many patients report that certain foods instigate itch, although there is limited published information in dermatology on food-induced pruritus. In addition, itch severity is rarely mentioned. Food can induce pruritus through either ingestion or direct contact with skin or mucosal membranes. The most common type of itch provoked by food is acute urticaria, often through the classical immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated pathway. Other mechanisms include non-IgE-mediated, mixed (IgE-mediated and non-IgE-mediated), T-cell-mediated, and nonimmune reactions. For patients presenting with urticaria, generalized pruritus, oral pruritus, or dermatitis, a thorough history is warranted, and possible food associations should be considered and assessed. Although any food seems to have the potential to elicit an immune response, certain foods are especially immunogenic. Treatment includes avoidance of the trigger and symptom management. Careful consideration should be used as to avoid unnecessarily restrictive elimination diets.

Diagnosis of exercise-induced anaphylaxis: current insights

Exercise-induced anaphylaxis (EIAn) is defined as the occurrence of anaphylactic symptoms (skin, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and cardiovascular symptoms) after physical activity. In about a third of cases, cofactors, such as food intake, temperature (warm or cold), and drugs (especially nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) can be identified. When the associated cofactor is food ingestion, the correct diagnosis is food-dependent EIAn (FDEIAn). The literature describes numerous reports of FDEIAn after intake of very different foods, from vegetables and nuts to meats and seafood. One of the best-characterized types of FDEIAn is that due to ω5-gliadin of wheat, though cases of FDEIAn after wheat ingestion by sensitization to wheat lipid transfer protien (LTP) are described. Some pathophysiological mechanisms underlying EIAn have been hypothesized, such as increase/alteration in gastrointestinal permeability, alteration of tissue transglutaminase promoting IgE cross-linking, enhanced expression of cytokines, redistribution of blood during physical exercise leading to altered mast-cell degranulation, and also changes in the acid–base balance. Nevertheless, until now, none of these hypotheses has been validated. The diagnosis of EIAn and FDEIAn is achieved by means of a challenge, with physical exercise alone for EIAn, and with the assumption of the suspected food followed by physical exercise for FDEIAn; in cases of doubtful results, a double-blind placebo-controlled combined food–exercise challenge should be performed. The prevention of this particular kind of anaphylaxis is the avoidance of the specific trigger, ie, physical exercise for EIAn, the assumption of the culprit food before exercise for FDEIAn, and in general the avoidance of the recognized cofactors. Patients must be supplied with an epinephrine autoinjector, as epinephrine has been clearly recognized as the first-line intervention for anaphylaxis.

Food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis to chickpea in a 17-year-old female: a case report

Introduction

Food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis is a subtype of anaphylaxis and, although rare, it is an important condition to be familiar with as it can ultimately lead to death.

Case presentation

We present a case of food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis in a 17-year-old white girl due to chickpea. She had a history of anaphylaxis after eating crackers and hummus before exercising. Skin prick testing and serum-specific immunoglobulin E level confirmed chickpea to be the causative allergen.

Conclusions

This case demonstrates the challenge in identifying specific causative food allergens when foods are eaten in combination, when the food is processed, and when cross-reactivity is possible. These challenges add complexity to a condition that is already rare and unfamiliar to some health care providers. We hope that this case will serve as an important reminder that although rare, food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis exists and making a diagnosis can lead to life-saving preventative strategies. As legumes are not a common food associated with food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis, this will add to our current knowledge base in the field of allergy.

Two cases of food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis with different culprit foods

Food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (FDEIA) is one of the severe allergic reactions in which symptoms develop only if exercise takes place within a few hours of eating a specific food. It is important to consider FDEIA in cases of unexplained anaphylaxis as reactions can occur several hours after ingesting the culprit food(s). We herein report the first two cases of FDEIA in the Middle East. The first one is induced by wheat, while the other by peanut. The pathophysiology, predisposing factors, diagnosis, and treatment of FDEIA are also summarized here.

Food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis: is wheat unique?

This review draws comparisons between wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (WDEIA) and other food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (FDEIAs) and discusses the importance of co-factors in its pathophysiology. FDEIA remains an enigmatic condition since it was first described 30 years ago. The sporadic and unpredictable nature of its reactions has puzzled clinicians and scientists for decades, but recent studies on WDEIA have enlightened us about the pathophysiology of this condition. The identification of defined allergic epitopes such as Tri a 19, α-gliadin, β-gliadin and γ-gliadin in WDEIA enables it to become the perfect model for studying FDEIA, but WDEIA is by no means a unique condition. On a larger scale, FDEIA represents a crucial link between IgE-mediated and anaphylactoid reactions and provides supportive evidence for the concept of 'summation anaphylaxis' and the need to overcome the 'allergen threshold'. Future work should focus on identifying more of the FDEIA epitopes and understanding their distinct molecular properties. The development of a biomarker in order to identify patients susceptible to co-factor influences would be invaluable.

Food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis occurred only in a warm but not in a cold environment

Food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (FDEIA) is a type of exercise-induced anaphylaxis associated with postprandial exercise. We describe a 19-year-old man with FDEIA. Our patient complained of urticaria, angioedema, dizziness and hypotension associated with exercise after ingestion of walnut-containing foods in a warm environment. Skin prick test and prick to prick test were positive for walnut antigen. The attack didn't occur by free running outside for 10 min 2 h after taking walnuts, and the temperature was about -2℃. Food-exercise test was done again in a warm environment based on prior history. Anaphylaxis was developed after exercise for 10 min in a warm environment after taking walnuts. Some environmental factors such as high temperature and high humidity or cold temperature may influence exercise-induced anaphylaxis. In our case, the cofactor was a warm environment: the challenge test done in a cold environment was negative, but positive in a warm environment. Physicians should be aware that the challenge test of FDEIA can show different results depending on temperature.