f75 Egg yolk
Allergens within Food of Animal Origin
- Latin name: Gallus spp.
- Source material: Freeze-dried egg yolk
It has been suggested that egg intolerance in adults is due to sensitization to egg-yolk livetins and can be provoked by inhalation of tame bird dander (bird-egg syndrome).
Potential Cross-Reactivity
Shared allergens in bird serum and egg yolk has been suggested.Clinical Experience
IgE-mediated reactions
Reactivity to egg yolk as a result of avian sensitization has been reported.
Review
Proteins from the egg yolk have not been extensively studied. However, egg yolk has been found to contain allergens other than the major allergens in egg-white. Three proteins, apovitellenins I & VI and phosvitin, have been shown to bind IgE from the sera of persons with specific IgE to egg yolk (1).
Clinical experience
It has been suggested that egg intolerance in adults is due to sensitization to egg-yolk livetins and can be provoked by inhalation of tame bird dander (bird-egg syndrome) and thus is not the same as egg-white allergy in atopic children (2). A case was described in which an elderly woman became egg allergic as a result of inhalant allergen sensitization from a parrot. The patient revealed high levels of IgE antibodies to egg yolk and to various bird sera (3). Hoffman & Guenther (4) reported a case of reactivity to egg yolk as a result of avian serum sensitization. They suggested it can be clinically relevant to test patients with a history of exposure to birds to both egg yolk and bird serum.
References:
- Walsh, BJ; Elliott, C; Baker, RS; Barnett, D; Burley, RW; Hill, DJ; Howden, MEH. Allergenic cross-reactivity of egg-white and egg-yolk proteins. Int Archs Allergy Appl Immun; 1987; 84: 228-232.
- Mandallaz, M; de Weck, AL; Dahinden, CA. Bird-egg syndrome. Int Arch Allergy AppI Immunol; 1988; 87: 143-150.
- Maat-Bleeker de, F; Van Dijk, AG; Berrens, L. Allergy to egg yolk possibly induced by a sensitization to bird serum antigens. Ann Allergy; 1985; 54: 245-248.
- Hoffman, D; Guenther, DM. Occupational allergy to avian proteins presenting as allergy to ingestion of egg yolk. J Allergy Clin Immunol; 1988; 81: 484-488.
1999