Corn, f8

Corn (Zea mays L.) is a high—yielding and important food crop after wheat and rice, available worldwide. Corn is widely cultivated all over the world, including countries such as Northern Europe, Russia, South Africa, East Asia, the Himalayas, China, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, Chile and Canada.

Corn allergies are often reported in countries such as southern Europe and Mexico, where corn consumption is widespread. Oral ingestion of corn can lead to IgE-mediated allergic reactions such as oral food allergy syndrome and even severe reactions such as anaphylaxis.
In addition, inhaling cornmeal at work can lead to occupational asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis, and contact with it on the skin can provoke allergic reactions, such as contact hives.

Five allergenic components of corn have been identified, such as Zea m 1, Zea m 8, Zea m 12, Zea m 14 and Zea m 25; among them, Zea m 1 and Zea m 14 are the main allergens. Zea m 14 (non-specific lipid transporter protein) is a highly resistant protein capable of withstanding thermal, enzymatic and chemical treatment.

Corn has been found to cross-react with other grains such as rice, wheat, barley, etc. In addition, corn also cross-reacts with fruits such as peach, cherry, vigna, apricot, grape, as well as pollen such as grass and sycamore pollen.

The determination of specific IgE in human blood to - Corn, f8, shows the body's reaction to this allergen.

Research method: ImmunoCAP method (Immunofluorescence in the solid phase)

Units of measurement: kU/l

Biomaterial for analysis: venous blood