Perilla seed allergy: A systematic analysis of clinical and
immunological profiles
Abstract
Background Perilla seeds have been shown to cause immediate allergic
reactions. However, reports on perilla seed allergies are limited to a
few case reports, and there is currently no diagnostic test for such
allergies. Our objective was to analyze the clinical and immunological
characteristics of perilla seed allergy and to identify allergens for
the development of diagnostic methods. Methods Twenty-two children with
clinical perilla seed allergy were enrolled from two tertiary hospitals
between September 2016 and June 2019. Using perilla seed extract, we
developed a skin prick test (SPT) reagent and an IgE enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for perilla seed allergy diagnosis. IgE
immunoblotting was performed for identifying putative allergenic
components, and amino acid composition analysis was performed using
liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Results The
median age of children with perilla seed allergy was 3 years, and the
proportion of children with anaphylaxis was 31.8%. Perilla seed SPT was
performed for 16 of 22 children, all of whom tested positive. On ELISA,
86.4% of children tested positive for perilla seed-specific IgE.
Proteins with molecular weights of 50, 31–35, and 14–16 kDa showed
binding with the sera of >50% of children with perilla
seed allergy. LC-MS/MS analysis of these three protein fractions
indicated 8 putative proteins, including perilla oleosin (Accession No.
9963891), to be allergens. Conclusion We reported the clinical
characteristics and immunological profiles of 22 children with perilla
seed allergy and suggested oleosin as one of the major allergens in
perilla seeds.