Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) is one of the most common food allergens that can induce fatal anaphylaxis, and Ara h 2 is one of the major allergen components involved in peanut allergy (1). It tends to present early in life, it does not usually resolve, and in highly sensitized people trace quantities can induce an allergic reaction (2). Among the peanut component proteins, IgE antibodies to Ara h2, and to a much lesser extent Ara h1, Ara h3, Ara h6, and Ara h9, have been identified as the major driver of clinically relevant allergy (3)
1. Journal of Immunology Research Volume 2018, Article ID 4894705, 10 pages. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/4894705
2. Simons FER, Chad ZH, Gold M. Real-time reporting of anaphylaxis in infants, children, and adolescents by physician involved in the Canadian Pediatric Surveillance Program [abstract 536]. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2002;109(1 Pt 2): S181.
3. Koppelman SJ, Wensing M, Ertmann M, Knulst AC, Knol EF. Relevance of Ara h1, Ara h2 and Ara h3 in peanut-allergic patients, as determined by immuno-globulin E Western blotting, basophil-histamine release and intracutaneous testing: Ara h2 is the most important peanut allergen. Clin Exp Allergy. 2004; 34:583–590.