Allergome

Allergome is a term that refers to the complete set of allergenic molecules present in a specific source, such as a particular food, pollen, or insect venom. This concept is crucial in allergy diagnosis and management, as it moves beyond identifying a general allergen (like peanut) to pinpointing the specific proteins within that allergen that trigger an immune response in an individual. Understanding the allergome of a substance allows for more precise diagnostic testing and can inform treatment strategies.

When a person is diagnosed with an allergy, it is typically due to a reaction to one or more specific proteins, or allergens, within a larger complex. For example, the peanut allergome contains numerous allergenic proteins, such as Ara h 1, Ara h 2, and Ara h 3. Different individuals may be sensitized to different combinations of these proteins, leading to varying symptom severity and profiles. Diagnostic tools like component-resolved diagnostics (CRD) analyze an individual's immune response to these individual allergenic components, providing a detailed picture of their sensitization profile. This detailed information can help predict the risk of severe reactions and guide avoidance strategies more effectively. Furthermore, knowledge of the allergome is vital for developing new diagnostic tests and potential immunotherapies.