Emergent Allergens in Gastroenterology and Allergy

Adverse reactions to food that induce gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are common in children. The appearance of a food allergy is more common in the pediatric population and young adults and GI symptoms are frequent. However, during the last two decades we have witnessed the debut of some allergic reactions to food in adulthood and even in elderly people and in these cases the allergens involved are the fish parasite Anisakis simplex and the oligosaccharide galactose-alpha-1,3- galactose (alpha-gal), present in mammal meats and dairy products [1-5]. These reactions are mediated by the type I hypersensitivity mechanism that occurs in the presence of specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) and involves mast cells, eosinophils, among other immune cells.