چکیده (انگلیسی):

Food allergy is an adverse immune response to certain kinds of food. Although any food can cause
allergic reactions, chicken egg, cow's milk, wheat, shellfish, fruit, and buckwheat account for 75% of food
allergies in Japan. Allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies play a pivotal role in the development
of food allergy. Recent advances in molecular biological techniques have enabled the efficient
analysis of food allergens. As a result, many food allergens have been identified, and their molecular
structure and IgE-binding epitopes have also been identified. Studies of allergens have demonstrated that
IgE antibodies specific to allergen components and/or the peptide epitopes are good indicators for the
identification of patients with food allergy, prediction of clinical severity and development of tolerance.
In this review, we summarize our current knowledge regarding the allergens and IgE epitopes in the
well-researched allergies to chicken egg, cow's milk, wheat, shrimp, and peanut.