Egg white allergens (Gal d)

Egg white allergens are a group of proteins found in the white of hen's eggs (Gallus gallus) that are responsible for triggering IgE-mediated allergic reactions. The major allergens include Ovomucoid (Gal d 1), Ovalbumin (Gal d 2), Ovotransferrin (Gal d 3), and Lysozyme (Gal d 4), with Ovomucoid being the most heat-stable and clinically significant for predicting persistent allergy (Source: UniProt, PMID: 25654724). Biologically, these proteins serve various roles in the developing embryo, such as providing nutrition, inhibiting proteases, and acting as antimicrobial agents. In the context of medicine, these allergens are the primary targets for oral immunotherapy (OIT), where controlled exposure aims to induce desensitization and increase the threshold for allergic reactions. While not traditional therapeutic targets like receptors or enzymes, they are the focal point of diagnostic testing and immunomodulatory treatments designed to mitigate life-threatening anaphylaxis (Source: StatPearls, NIH).

Other names

Hen's egg white proteinsGallus gallus allergensEgg white protein extract

Allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) works by inducing clinical desensitization through the modulation of the immune system, specifically by increasing allergen-specific IgG4 levels, decreasing IgE-mediated mast cell activation, and shifting the T-cell response from a Th2 to a Th1/Treg profile (Source: PMID: 30213448, NIH).