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Review
. 2025 Jun 18;26(12):5840.
doi: 10.3390/ijms26125840.

Current State of Celery Allergy: Is Discovering Api g 7 a Milestone in Diagnosing Celeriac-Allergic Patients?

Bernadetta Kosztulska  1 , Zbigniew Bartuzi  2 , Natalia Ukleja-Sokołowska  2
Affiliations
Review

Current State of Celery Allergy: Is Discovering Api g 7 a Milestone in Diagnosing Celeriac-Allergic Patients?

Bernadetta Kosztulska et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Celery allergy is a common food allergy, particularly among the European population. Currently, several diagnostic methods are available, including multiplex assays, which are useful for identifying celery-allergic patients. However, all of these methods have certain limitations. Api g 7 is a newly identified celeriac allergen belonging to the defensin protein family. Its clinical relevance lies in the high risk of severe systemic reactions among patients sensitized to this molecule. Patients sensitized to Api g 7 are often co-sensitized to Art v 1, the major mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) allergen, due to structural similarity between these two molecules. This molecular homology plays a key role in the pathogenesis of celery-mugwort syndrome. Although Api g 7may be a major celery allergen, none of the currently available commercial diagnostic tests are capable of detecting sIgE against it. This highlights the need for the development of new, commercially available diagnostic tools in allergology.

Keywords: Api g 7; allergy; celery allergy; celery–mugwort syndrome; component diagnostics; defensins.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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