ABSTRACT
The allergy towards various foods is a global health issue, and the prevalence in both developed and developing countries is still rising. Approximately 3" of the population is affected by IgE-associated food allergies. This chapter focuses on class II food allergens involved in pollen-food syndromes and gives a comprehensive overview on the main concerned protein families. Sensitization to pollen profilins is connected to a large number of cross-reactions to plant-foods, with Rosaceae fruits and nuts, Apiaceae fruits and vegetables as well as melons, bananas, kiwis, oranges, tomatoes and peanuts being the most common cases. Pollen-food syndrome is a very important allergy and should not be underestimated in clinical practice. Moreover, there is a certain need for basic and clinical studies that will investigate the pathomechanism of PFS in depth allowing for better understanding of the disease.
