Severe asthma due to occupational exposure to Guar Gum: is Lipid Transfer Protein involved?

Dear Editor, difficult-to-control asthma may be associated with continuous exposure to allergens, particularly professional ones, presence of comorbidities and lack of adherence to therapy. A component-resolved approach can provide an invaluable support to the diagnosis of allergic asthma.1 On the other hand, molecular diagnosis also underlines new questions, as described here. An otherwise healthy nurse, aged 28 years, experienced onset of asthma symptoms soon after being located to a healthcare facility, hosting patients with disabling neuromuscular diseases. Although a screening skin test, performed at a different Allergy Service, was negative for the common allergenic sources, ImmunoCap (ThermoFisher Scientific, Uppsala, Sweden) revealed the presence of IgE specific to latex and its main allergic component, Hev b 5 …