Additional Indications for the Low Allergenic Properties of the Apple Cultivars Santana and Elise

Patients with Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS) to fresh apple may tolerate low allergenic apple cultivars. We aimed to investigate if the low allergenic properties of Elise and Santana, as previously identified in a Dutch population, could be generalised within North West Europe within the birch pollen region with regard to both the prevalence and degree of sensitization. Prick-to-prick tests (PTP) were performed in eighty-five adult patients with OAS to fresh apple in Great Britain, Switzerland and Northern Italy, before the birch pollen season, using the putatively low allergenic apple cultivars Elise, Santana, Granny Smith, Modi and Mcintosh, as well as the putatively high allergenic apple cultivars Golden Delicious and Kanzi. No significant differences in percentages of negative responses of PTPs were found between the three countries. Negative responses did not differ from negative responses to the different apple cultivars we previously found in 2006/2007 in the Netherlands. The size of the PTPs of all apple cultivars tested were correlated to the size of the skin prick tests with birch pollen. These results add to the indications for the low allergenic properties of the low allergenic apple cultivars Santana and Elise, as the number of negative responses were reproducible in three countries within the birch pollen region and were similar to previous results in the Netherlands. These results justify oral challenge studies with Elise and Santana within the birch pollen region, to establish the low allergenic properties for the benefit for apple allergic consumers for definite conclusions.