Package "Allergy to milk" (alpha-lactalbumin, milk nBos d 4 f76, Beta-lactoglobulin, milk nBos d 5, f77; casein, milk nBos d 8, f78)

Cow's milk allergy is a common cause of food allergies, asthma, allergic rhinitis, and anaphylaxis.
Allergy component diagnostics is based on the detection of sensitization to allergens at the molecular level using natural highly purified and recombinant allergen molecules, i.e., their individual allergy components. There are 2 main advantages of performing this analysis:

• Allergocomponent diagnosis makes it possible to differentiate true sensitization from sensitization due to cross-reactivity. These data will help identify the sources of allergies: a single one, several closely related ones, or many different ones.
• Molecular allergy diagnostics will eliminate the need for provocative tests and allow for clearer recommendations regarding the elimination of contact with allergens.

The composition of an allergenic substance includes not one, but several protein components that can act as allergens:
Major allergenic components are the main allergenic molecules, antibodies to which are found in more than half – 50% of patients in the population responding to this source. They are resistant to heat and more immunogenic. They are large in size and are contained in this allergen in larger quantities.
Minor allergenic components are secondary, smaller in size and less immunogenic allergenic molecules that are usually contained in smaller amounts in the allergen but are present in many different allergens, sometimes not closely related, providing cross-allergy. That is, allergens with a prevalence of more than 50% are called major allergens, and less than 10% are called minor allergens.

Cow's milk allergy is the most common cause of food allergies, asthma, allergic rhinitis, and anaphylaxis in childhood. The prevalence of milk allergy in young children is approximately 2%. Hypersensitivity to cow's milk may persist into adulthood. Cow's milk contains about 40 protein allergens. Allergenic proteins are divided into two fractions – caseins (80% of milk proteins) and whey protein (20% of milk proteins). Most patients with milk allergies are sensitized to several components of milk.

Alpha-lactalbumin (nBos d 4) is a major milk allergen that makes up about 25% of whey proteins. It is a regulatory component of the enzymatic system of galactosyltransferase, responsible in the secretory cells of the breast for the synthesis of lactose. α-lactalbumin is partially sensitive to heat.

In fact, Beta-lactoglobulin (nBos d 5), in addition to Bos d 8, casein, is an allergen that causes most IgE-mediated reactions in allergy sufferers and is sensitive to heat. Patients suffering from the gastrointestinal form of cow's milk allergy often have specific IgE to β-lactoglobulin.

Bovine serum albumin (Bos d 6) is the main protein of cow's milk serum; it is also found in beef and cow plasma. Thus, patients with milk allergies sensitized to Bos d 6 may also be allergic to beef. Bos d 6 is a marker of the risk of systemic reactions, for example, in artificial insemination and cell therapy, as well as in other procedures involving infusions of albumin-containing environments. Whey proteins are quite thermolabile and therefore break down when heated.

Casein (nBos d 8) is found in milk and dairy products, especially cheese, as well as in other products containing milk. Even highly hydrolyzed infant formula may contain allergenic casein remnants. Casein can be found in "dairy-free" products in the form of non-split residual milk proteins. Casein can cause allergic reactions in patients who eat so-called "non-dairy" products.