Background: Previous studies have suggested that there is cross-reactivity in subjects sensitive to natural rubber proteins with other plant proteins such as banana, chestnut, and avocado. There are numerous other plants known to produce rubber including Parthenium argentatum and Ficus elastica. It is not known whether patients with IgE-mediated systemic reactions caused by the common source of natural rubber Hevea brasiliensis are also sensitive to the rubber-containing material from these other plant sources of latex. It is also not certain how much the allergenicity of latex made from Hevea brasiliensis can be reduced by extracting proteins from the sap since some proteins are tightly associated with the cis-1,4-polyisoprene.
Objective: In this study we investigated whether there would be cross-reactivity to other natural sources of latex in these patients.
Methods: Seven patients with histories of systemic type I hypersensitivity to latex products had strongly positive skin tests to Hevea brasiliensis latex from two different sources. These subjects were tested by the prick method for sensitivity to three other natural sources of latex. These included latex-containing material from Parthenium-argentatum and Ficus elastica as well as washed and centrifuged rubber particles from Hevea brasiliensis sap.
Results: All subjects had negative skin tests to all dilutions of the rubber samples from these other natural sources of latex.
Conclusion: These results suggest several potential sources of natural hypoallergenic latex that might be tolerated by latex-sensitive individuals.