Itchy lips every cherry season, or swelling after a slice of Black Forest gâteau? Cherry reactions in Europe follow two patterns: a birch-related one that stays in the mouth, and a peach-related one that can go further. Our test checks for IgE antibodies to cherry's lipid transfer protein, as part of 300 allergens and allergen components including birch pollen, peach and apple.
In birch regions such as Finland, Germany and the Netherlands, most cherry reactions come from Pru av 1. This is a PR-10 protein that resembles Bet v 1, the main birch pollen protein. It is fragile, breaks down with heat, and is usually linked to itching and tingling in the mouth only. Pru av 1 is not on the panel, but birch Bet v 1 is, and a high birch result with mouth itching after cherries fits this pattern.
The second pattern is Pru av 3, a lipid transfer protein (LTP). LTPs survive heat and digestion, so they are associated with reactions beyond the mouth, including hives and swelling. LTP sensitisation is more common around the Mediterranean, but it does occur in northern Europe. Pru av 3 is on the panel.
LTPs look alike across many plants. Cherry's Pru av 3 closely resembles peach's Pru p 3, the best-studied LTP in Europe. People sensitised to one usually show the other, and often apple, hazelnut, walnut and peanut LTPs too.
Some people with LTP sensitisation only react when a cofactor is added, such as exercise, painkillers like ibuprofen, or alcohol around the meal. That makes reactions look random. Seeing several LTPs on one report helps a doctor connect them.
Reactions people describe after cherries range from itching of the lips, mouth and throat to hives, swollen lips, stomach cramps and, less often, breathing trouble. They usually start within minutes to two hours.
Swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, trouble breathing or feeling faint after eating is an emergency. Call 112 (EU) or your local emergency number. Do not wait for a test.
Your finger-prick sample goes to the lab, which measures IgE to one single cherry protein (molecular component). There is no whole cherry extract on the panel. Your lab report gives it a measured value and class, from Negative to Very high, next to peach, apple, hazelnut, walnut and peanut LTPs and birch Bet v 1. A positive result shows sensitisation, not a clinical allergy. Discuss the result with a doctor before you change what you eat.
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One finger-prick sample checks IgE to 300 allergens and allergen components, from birch and peanut to cat and house dust mite. Post it to the lab, and about 5 days after it arrives you get a value for every one. Our plain-English guide shows you how to read them. €399 in total, €1.33 per allergen.
In northern and central Europe, the usual reason is birch pollen. Cherry contains a birch-like protein, so birch antibodies react to it in the mouth. A less common reason is LTP sensitisation, which is linked to peach. The test shows birch and cherry LTP side by side.
With the birch pattern, people often report that cooked or tinned cherries cause fewer symptoms, because heat breaks down the birch-like protein. The LTP Pru av 3 is heat-stable, so that does not apply to it. Ask a doctor what fits your result.
Not necessarily, but the two are closely related. Their LTPs look alike, so antibodies to one often recognise the other. Your report shows both, which helps a doctor judge the pattern.
