Wormwood
Summary
The Artemisia family includes Wormwood (A. absinthum), Scoparia Wormwood (A scoparia), Tarragon syn esdragol, estragon (A. dracunculus), and the very important aeroallergen, Mugwort (A. vulgaris).
Clinical Relevance
IgE mediated reactions
Anecdotal evidence suggests that asthma, allergic rhinitis and allergic conjunctivitis are common following exposure to pollen from Wormwood; however, few specific studies have been reported to date.
In a study in Poland, among 2561 patients suffering from upper airway allergy symptoms, hypersensitivity to weed pollen allergens was found in 1069 patients with pollinosis. In patients sensitised to weeds, the most prevalent allergens were Wormwood (86.2%), Mugwort (82.9%), White Goosefoot (44.3%), and Narrowleaf Plantain (28.8%).
Common Wormwood is also an important aeroallergen in Japan. A study in Korea reported that pollen from this plant might be considered as one of the important allergenic etiologies of atopic asthma in that country.
Other reactions
Consumption of Absinthe may cause hallucinations, tremors, convulsions, and paralysis over the long term. The responsible substance for the toxicity of the drink is that Absinthe contains the compound thujone.
Cross-Reactivity
An extensive cross-reactivity among the different individual species of the genus could be expected, as well as to a certain degree among members of the family Asteraceae. This is demonstrated by a study whose purpose was to investigate the in vitro cross-reactivity among nine Artemisia species: A. frigida, A. annua, A. biennis, A. filifolia, A. tridentata, A. californica, A. gnaphalodes, A. ludoviciana, and A. vulgaris. Results of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay inhibitions revealed strong cross-reactivity among all nine species, with A. biennis and A. tridentata being two of the strongest inhibitors. The polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed a great deal of similarity in the bands among the nine species. The nitrocellulose blots showed similar IgE binding patterns among the Artemisia species, with strong inhibition among all nine extracts. Although A. absinthium was not included, one may infer that a strong degree of cross-reactivity exists between this species and other members of the Artemisia genus.
Art v 1, a defensin, an allergen from Mugwort pollen, has been shown to be cross-reactive with a pollen allergen from botanically related Asteraceae weeds (Artemisia absinthium, Helianthus annuus and Ambrosia sp.). The homologous allergens were recognised by IgE from Mugwort-sensitised patients.
References
- Iwasaki E, Baba M. [Classification of allergens by positive percentage agreement and cluster analysis based on specific IgE antibodies in asthmatic children]. Arerugi = [Allergy]. 1992;41(10):1449-58.
- Park HS, Lee MK, Hong CS. Bronchial challenge responses in asthmatic patients sensitized to Artemisia spp. pollen. Yonsei medical journal. 1989;30(2):173-9.
- Gniazdowska B, Doroszewska G, Doroszewski W. [Hypersensitivity to weed pollen allergens in the region of Bygdoszcz]. Pneumonologia i alergologia polska. 1993;61(7-8):367-72.
- Arnold WN. Vincent van Gogh and the thujone connection. JAMA 1988;260(20):3042-4.
- Burkhard PR, Burkhardt K, Haenggeli CA, Landis T. Plant-induced seizures: reappearance of an old problem. Journal of neurology. 1999;246(8):667-70.
- L Y. Botanical relations and immunological cross-reactions in pollen allergy. 2nd ed Pharmacia Diagnostics AB Uppsala Sweden. 1982.
- Katial RK, Lin FL, Stafford WW, Ledoux RA, Westley CR, Weber RW. Mugwort and sage (Artemisia) pollen cross-reactivity: ELISA inhibition and immunoblot evaluation. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 1997;79(4):340-6.
- Gruber P, Gadermaier G, Bauer R, Weiss R, Wagner S, Leonard R, et al. Role of the polypeptide backbone and post-translational modifications in cross-reactivity of Art v 1, the major mugwort pollen allergen. Biological chemistry. 2009;390(5-6):445-51.