Avoiding Corn in Canada
Avoiding Corn in CanadaNicolie, B., Bernier, B., Drouet, M. Allergie au maïs (Allergy to corn). 2009. Revue Française d'Allergologie. 49 (7): 547-553. (In French, but with an English abstract).
Pétrus, M., Trigatti, A., Bouchet, H., Colin, P., and Dutau, G. 2009. Allergie à la farine de maïs: deux nouvelles observations pédiatriques (Allergy to corn flour: two new pediatric observations). Revue Française d'Allergologie. 49 (7): 545-546. (In French, but with an English abstract).
Dutau, G. 2009. L'allergie alimentaire au maïs: une allergie émergente? (Food allergy to corn: an emerging allergy?) Revue Française d'Allergologie. 49 (7): 513-514. (In French, but with an English abstract).
Pétrus, M., Jésu, J., Cossarizza, G., Torregrosa, A., Gardes, H., Ingarao, J.-P., and Dutau, G. 2009. Allergie à la farine de maïs: à propos d'une nouvelle observation chez un enfant de huit ans (Allergie to corn flour, with reference to a new observation in an eight-year-old child). 49 (4): 379-382. (In French, but with an English abstract).
- The authors suggest that using corn starch instead of corn flour in cooking might be a good way to avoid triggering a corn allergy! I wrote to the lead author to say that there are some of us allergic to corn starch as well. He insists that most people allergic to corn are allergic to corn proteins and that corn starch shouldn't have any proteins in it. (Starch is a polysaccharide, and in its pure form, would not contain protein). I personally would not rely on manufacturers getting 100% of the protein out of corn starch during processing.
Scibilia J, Pastorello EA, Zisa G, Ottolenghi A, Ballmer-Weber B, Pravenotti V, Scovena E, Robino A, and Ortolani C. 2008. Maize food allergy: a double-blind placebo-controlled study. Clinical and Experimental Allergy. 38(12):1943-1949.
- Corn allergy is rare but may result in anaphylactic shock. Exposure to as little as 100 milligrams of corn can cause reactions in sensitive people.
Borghesan F., and Borghesan N. 2005. Maize flour-induced rhinitis. Allergie et Immunologie (Paris). 37(7):283-284.
- The patient in question had only nasal allergy symptoms caused by corn for 15 years before he developed typical food allergy reactions.
Cristaudo, A., Simonato, B., Pasini, G., De Rocco, M., Curioni, A., and Giannattasio, M. 2004. Contact urticaria and protein contact dermatitis from corn in a patient with serum IgE specific for a salt-soluble corn protein of low molecular weight. Contact Dermatitis. 51 (2): 84–87.
Pastorello, E.A., Pompei, C., Pravettoni, V., Farioli, L., Calamari, A.M., Scibilia, J., Robino, A.M., Conti, A., Iametti, S., Fortunato, D., Bonomi, S., and Ortolani, C. 2003. Lipid-transfer protein is the major maize allergen maintaining IgE-binding activity after cooking at 100°C, as demonstrated in anaphylactic patients and patients with positive double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge results. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 112 (4):775-783.
Tanaka, L.G., El-Dahr, J.M., and Lehrer, S.B. 2001. Double-blind, placebo-controlled corn challenge resulting in anaphylaxis. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 107(4): 744.
Tanaka, L.G., Olmos, C.E., McCants, M.L., Wild, L.G., El-Dahr, J.M. and Lehrer, S.B. 2001. Corn allergy: the first double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge (DBPCFC). Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 107(2): 630.
- This is an abstract of a poster presentation.
Pastorello, E.A., Farioli, L., Pravettoni, V., Ispano, M., Scibola, E., Trambaioli, C., Giuffrida, M.G., Ansaloni, R., Godovac-Zimmermann, J., Conti, A., Fortunato, D., and Ortolani, C. 2000. The maize major allergen, which is responsible for food-induced allergic reactions, is a lipid transfer protein. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 106(4): 744-751.
Figueredo, E., Quirce, S., del Amo, A., Cuesta, J., Arrieta, I., Lahoz, C., and Sastre, J. 1999. Beer-induced anaphylaxis: identification of allergens. Allergy. 54(6): 630-634.
Moneret-Vautrin, D.A., Kanny, G., and Beaudouin, E. 1998. L'allergie alimentaire au maïs existe-t-elle? (Does food allergy to corn exist?) Allergie et immunologie. 30 (7): 230.
- Corn allergy is rare, but real. People allergic to corn also tend to have allergies to other foods and pollens.
Pauls, J.D. 1998. Food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis to corn. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 101 (6): 853-854.
- A 15-year-old girl went from having anaphylactic reactions to corn only if she exercised after eating it to reacting to any corn in her diet.
David, T.J. 1984. Anaphylactic shock during elimination diets for severe atopic eczema. Archives of Disease in Childhood. 59: 983-986.
- An 8.5-month-old baby went into anaphylactic shock when eating corn for the first time.
Gonzalo-Garijo, M.A., Pérez-Calderón, R., Muñoz-Rodríguez, A., Tormo-Molina, R. and Silva-Palacios, I. 2004. Hypersensitivity to maize pollen. Allergy. 59 (3): 365.
Pastorello, E., Farioli, L., Pravettoni, V., Scibilia, J., Conti, A., Fortunato, D., Borgonovo, L., Bonomi, S., Primavesi, L., Ballmer-Weber, B. 2009. Maize food allergy: lipid-transfer proteins, endochitinases, and alpha-zein precursor are relevant maize allergens in double-blind placebo-controlled maize-challenge-positive patients. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry. 395 (1): 93-102.
Fasoli, E., Pastorello, E. A. , Farioli, L., Scibilia, J., Aldini, G., Carini, M., Marocco, A., Boschetti, E., and Righetti, P. G. 2009. Searching for allergens in maize kernels via proteomic tools. Journal of Proteomics. 3 (13): 501-510.
Weichel M., Vergoossen, N.J., Bonomi, S., Scibilia, J., Ortolani, C., Ballmer-Weber, B.K., Pastorello, E.A., and Crameri, R. 2006. Screening the allergenic repertoires of wheat and maize with sera from double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge positive patients. Allergy. 61 (1): 128-135.
Crevel, R.W., Kerkhoff, M.A., and Koning, M.M.. 2000. Allergenicity of refined vegetable oils. Food Chemistry and Toxicology. 38(4): 385-393.
Liu, W. and Nixon, R.L. 2007. Corn contact urticaria in a nurse. Australasian Journal of Dermatology. 48 (2): 130-131.
Dave, J., Wilcox, M.H. and Kellett, M. 1999. Glove powder: implications for infection control. Journal of Hospital Infection. 42(4): 283-285.
Crippa, M. and Pasolini, G. 1997. Allergic reactions due to glove-lubricant-powder in health-care workers. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health. 70(6): 399-402.
Seggev, J.S., Mawhinney, T.P., Yunginger, J.W. and Braun, S.R. 1990. Anaphylaxis due to cornstarch surgical glove powder. Annals of Allergy. 65(2): 152-155.
Frisner, H., Rosendal, A., and Barkholt, V. 2000. Identification of immunogenic maize proteins in a casein hydrolysate formula. Pediatric Allergy and Immunology. 11(2): 106-110.
Guharoy, S.R. and Barajas M. 1991. Probable anaphylactic reaction to corn-derived dextrose solution. Veterinary and Human Toxicology. 33 (6): 609-610.
- In the incident described, a pregnant woman had a serious allergic reaction when a dextrose solution was administered intravenously during the delivery of her child at an American hospital. Her reaction stopped when the IV was stopped. The baby was fine.
Zakardas, M., Scott, F.W., Salminen, J. and Pong, A.H. 1999. Common allergenic foods and their labelling in Canada -- a review (PDF). Canadian Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 4(3): 118-141.
- See p. 128 in particular.
Taylor, S.L., Hefle, S.L., Bindslev-Jensen, C., Bock, S.A., Burks, S.W., Christie, L., Hill, D.J., Host, A., Hourihane, J.O.B., Lack, G., Metcalfe, D.D., Moneret-Vautrin, D.A., Vadas, P.A., Rance, F., Skrypec, D.J., Trautman, T.A., Malmheden Yman, I., and Zeiger, R.S. 2002. Factors affecting the determination of threshold doses for allergenic foods: how much is too much? Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 24-30.
- Corn/soybean cross-contamination info on page 25.
Malone, A. 2005. Enteral formula selection: a review of selected product categories (PDF). Practical gastroenterology 44-74.
- A list of corn-free formulations is in Table 10, page 60.
That is, the gene introduced into the GM corn did not make allergic reactions worse in the people with corn allergy in this study, or cause allergic reactions in people not allergic to corn. The people allergic to corn were reacting to other compounds normally present in corn.
Nakajima, O., Teshimaa, R., Takagia, K., Okunukia, H., and Sawada, J. 2007. ELISA method for monitoring human serum IgE specific for Cry1Ab introduced into genetically modified corn. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology 47 (1): 90-95.
To date, no complementary or alternative diagnostic procedure can be recommended as a meaningful element in the diagnostic work-up of allergic diseases. This is especially true for food allergy: properly performed oral food challenges still represent the gold standard for implementing specific diets in food allergic individuals. (Niggemann and Grüber 2004).
Niggemann, B., and Grüber, C. 2004. Unproven diagnostic procedures in IgE-mediated allergic diseases. Allergy. 59 (8): 806-808.
Beyer, K., and Teuber, S.S. 2005. Food allergy diagnostics: scientific and unproven procedures. Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 5 (3): 261-266.
