In vitro basophil activation is reduced by short-term omalizumab treatment in hydrolyzed wheat protein allergy

Dear Editor, Food allergies are IgE-mediated immediate-type allergy commonly seen in children and adults. The most common cause of food allergies is hen-egg in children, whereas wheat is the most frequent culprit food in adult patients with food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis. In Japan, an outbreak of wheat allergy has been recently noted which was caused by cutaneous sensitization to hydrolyzed wheat protein (HWP) supplemented in a soap, and over 2000 subjects were affected. Even after 5 years have passed since the cessation of using the soap, some patients have positive IgE test results against wheat and/or gluten and occasionally develop allergic reactions, such as facial edema and urticaria, when wheat products are ingested. Allergic symptoms in the HWP allergy is elicited by reaction of their IgE to natural wheat proteins ingested. We have reported that the IgE against HWP react mainly to wheat γ-gliadin and other gliadins with lower extent, indicating a variation of the IgE-reaction among the HWP allergy patients.