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Allergy to soy is still a big diagnostic and therapeutic problem. It seems that this problem will not lose its significance in the coming years, because soy proteins, mainly due to their prevalence and unique amino acid composition, are still extremely popular in food production, processing and breeding. Allergy to soy is most often manifested clinically as gastrointestinal symptoms, but other ailments are not uncommon. Despite the availability of many diagnostic methods, the diagnosis of soy allergy is not easy. A double-blind placebo-controlled oral provocation test remains the gold standard. However, the future certainly belongs to the molecular methods that allow to assess the sensitivity to specific allergen components, which opens up new possibilities both in predicting the course of natural disease and its treatment, and also in identifying patients at the highest risk of severe anaphylactic reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commonness of citrus fruits as food products and additives for cosmetics and cleaning products contribute to the increase of the number of people suffering from citrus allergy. Citrus allergens can cause gastrointestinal, respiratory and skin symptoms. Citrus allergens are cross-reactive with many allergens from different sources. This makes diagnostics of citrus allergy problematical and determination of the allergen responsible for allergy symptoms is difficult. The purpose of this article is systematization of information available in literature on citrus allergens, clinical symptoms of citrus allergy, its diagnostics and diagnostics-related problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peach allergy is particularly common in the Mediterranean countries, but in other parts of the Europe, including Poland, this is a growing problem. The main peach allergen is the non-specific, low molecular weight lipid transfer protein (LTP) Pru p 3, belonging to the prolamin superfamily, mainly found in the peach skin. The most common clinical manifestation of peach allergy is oral allergy syndrome (OAS), which occurs in 79% of peach allergic patients. The diagnostic gold standard in peach allergy remains the double blind placebo controlled food challenge (DBPCFC). The future lies with molecular diagnostics, which is becoming more and more popular nowadays. It enables precise determination of allergic components to which a patient is hypersensitive. It has crucial in predicting the patient's allergic disease's natural course, and is useful in identifying patients with higher risk of anaphylactic reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are over 8 million dogs in Poland. Allergy to pets accounts for 2.5% of total allergy cases, while allergy to dogs constitutes 8% of the total pet allergies. About 6% of children with allergic rhinitis and 35% of the asthmatic children have positive SPTs to dog allergens. Avoiding of dog allergens is not feasible, since dog antigen is found at concentrations capable of producing allergic symptoms in all public places. There are 29 allergic proteins in dog hair, dander, urine, serum and saliva. Five major dog allergens have been identified: Can f1, Can f2, Can f3, Can f4. Can f5. Allergens Can f1 and Can f2 are found in dander, saliva and in skin. Can f3 is found in serum, Can f4 in hair, dander and skin. Can f5 is found in urine. Can f 1 and Can f5 are capable of binding 50-70% of IgE, while Can f2 and Can f3 bind 20-40% of IgE. Considerable differences have been observed in the quantity of dog allergens between various breeds, but it does not seem reasonable to regard any of the breed as hypoallergenic. Effect of influence of dog allergens and of being an owner of a dog on the development of allergy and asthma has not been yet clarified. Some authors stress the significance of constant contact with the animal and of breeding more than one dog at home. Up to now, it has not been possible to determine the effect of having a dog at home on development of allergy in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]