Allergic reactions to hydrolysed wheat proteins: clinical aspects and molecular structures of the allergens involved

Abstract

Wheat gluten can be chemically or enzymatically hydrolysed to produce functional ingredients useful in food and cosmetics. However severe allergies to hydrolysed wheat proteins (HWP) have been described in Europe and Japan since the early 2000's. Triggering proteins and IgE epitopes were described both for French and Japanese cohorts and appeared remarkably similar leading to define a new wheat allergic entity. Deamidation induced by functionalisation generate neo-allergens responsible for this particular allergy. This article aims to review the processes leading to deamidation and the clinical features of the patients suffering from this allergy. Then the molecular determinants involved in HWP-allergy were exhaustively described and hypothesis regarding the sensitizing mechanism of HWP-allergy are discussed. Finally, current regulation and tools aiming at managing this risk associated with HWP are presented.

Keywords: Allergy; IgE; deamidation; gliadin; gluten.