Cashew nut

Cashew nut Scientific Information
Type: Whole Allergen
Display Name: Cashew nut
Allergen code: f202
Family: Anacardiaceae
Species: Anacardium occidentale
Route of Exposure: Ingestion
Latin Name: Anacardium occidentale
Other Names: Cashew
WHO/ICD-11 code: XM2EQ3

Summary

Cashew is a tropical, evergreen tree that belongs to Anacardiaceae family. It is a very versalile crop that grows commercially in many parts of the world. The unique features of this tree are its fruits that consists of a pseudofruit (cashew apple), which develops as a yellowish-red swollen peduncle and a true fruit, that evolves enclosing a kidney-shaped nut inside a double hard shell, growing at the end of the apple. This hard shell consists of toxic oily fluid, containing allergenic phenolic molecules inside it, however the kernels/nuts are protected from this toxic oil by a film. Cashew nuts are consumed, either in raw or roasted form, as snacks or used in butter, sweets, confectionery items, chocolates, and ice-creams. Cashews are salt-loving species, that prefer growing in warm and humid climate with optimum temperature ranging from 22 to 32℃. Oral ingestion or direct contact with skin/mucosa are the two routes of cashew nut exposure causing allergic reactions in individuals. These allergic reactions include skin lesions (urticaria and angioedema), gastrointestinal symptoms (abdominal pain and vomiting) and even anaphylaxis. Furthermore, atopic conditions, like asthma, allergic rhinitis, rhino-conjunctivitis and atopic dermatitis may also be observed. Importantly, the major food allergens found in cashew nuts are Ana o 1, Ana o 2 and Ana o 3. Extensive cross-reactivity has been reported between cashew nuts and pistachio, and to some extent with other tree nuts, such as hazelnut, walnut and peanut, and also with citrus seeds.

References
  1. Mendes C, Costa J, Vicente AA, Oliveira M, Mafra I. Cashew Nut Allergy: Clinical Relevance and Allergen Characterisation. Clinical reviews in allergy & immunology. 2019;57(1):1-22.
  2. Dendena B, Corsi S. Cashew, from seed to market: A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development. 2014;34(4):753-72.
  3. Oliveira NN, Mothé CG, Mothé MG, de Oliveira LG. Cashew nut and cashew apple: a scientific and technological monitoring worldwide review. Journal of food science and technology. 2020;57(1):12-21.
  4. Balasubramanian B, Sherfudeen KM, Kaliannan SK, Murugesan K. Cashew nut shell liquid poisoning. Indian J Crit Care Med. 2016;20(1):57-8.
  5. Tola J, Mazengia Y. Cashew production benefits and opportunities in Ethiopia: A Review. J Agric Crop Res. 2019;7(2):18-25.
  6. van der Valk JP, Dubois AE, Gerth van Wijk R, Wichers HJ, de Jong NW. Systematic review on cashew nut allergy. Allergy. 2014;69(6):692-8.
  7. Chabi S, Adoukonou-Sagbadja H, Ahoton L, Adebo I, Adigoun F, Saidou A, et al. Morphological characterization and agronomic performances of cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) accessions from Benin. J Agric Crop Res. 2015;3(2):27-40.
  8. CABI. Anacardium occidentale Wallingford, UK: CAB International; 2020 [26 January 2021]. Available from: https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/5064.
  9. Brough HA, Caubet JC, Mazon A, Haddad D, Bergmann MM, Wassenberg J, et al. Defining challenge-proven coexistent nut and sesame seed allergy: A prospective multicenter European study. The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology. 2020;145(4):1231-9.
  10. Cetinkaya PG, Buyuktiryaki B, Soyer O, Sahiner UM, Sackesen C, Sekerel BE. Phenotypical characterization of tree nuts and peanut allergies in east Mediterranean children. Allergologia et immunopathologia. 2020;48(4):316-22.
  11. Johnson J, Malinovschi A, Alving K, Lidholm J, Borres MP, Nordvall L. Ten-year review reveals changing trends and severity of allergic reactions to nuts and other foods. Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992). 2014;103(8):862-7.
  12. Uotila R, Kukkonen AK, Pelkonen AS, Mäkelä MJ. Cross-sensitization profiles of edible nuts in a birch-endemic area. Allergy. 2016;71(4):514-21.
  13. Elizur A, Appel MY, Nachshon L, Levy MB, Epstein-Rigbi N, Golobov K, et al. NUT Co Reactivity - ACquiring Knowledge for Elimination Recommendations (NUT CRACKER) study. Allergy. 2018;73(3):593-601.
  14. Cheng CW, Lin YC, Nong BR, Liu PY, Huang YF, Lu LY, et al. Nut sensitization profile in Southern Taiwan. Journal of microbiology, immunology, and infection = Wei mian yu gan ran za zhi. 2020;53(5):791-6.
  15. van der Valk JP, Gerth van Wijk R, Dubois AE, de Groot H, Reitsma M, Vlieg-Boerstra B, et al. Multicentre Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Food Challenge Study in Children Sensitised to Cashew Nut. PloS one. 2016;11(3):e0151055.
  16. Pettersson ME, Koppelman GH, Flokstra-de Blok BMJ, Kollen BJ, Dubois AEJ. Prediction of the severity of allergic reactions to foods. Allergy. 2018;73(7):1532-40.
  17. Inoue T, Ogura K, Takahashi K, Nishino M, Asaumi T, Yanagida N, et al. Risk Factors and Clinical Features in Cashew Nut Oral Food Challenges. International archives of allergy and immunology. 2018;175(1-2):99-106.
  18. McWilliam V, Peters R, Tang MLK, Dharmage S, Ponsonby AL, Gurrin L, et al. Patterns of tree nut sensitization and allergy in the first 6 years of life in a population-based cohort. The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology. 2019;143(2):644-50.e5.
  19. McWilliam V, Peters RL, Allen KJ, Dharmage SC, Ponsonby AL, Tang MLK, et al. Skin Prick Test Predictive Values for the Outcome of Cashew Challenges in Children. The journal of allergy and clinical immunology In practice. 2020;8(1):141-8.e2.
  20. Luyt DK, Vaughan D, Oyewole E, Stiefel G. Ethnic differences in prevalence of cashew nut, pistachio nut and almond allergy. Pediatric allergy and immunology : official publication of the European Society of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology. 2016;27(6):651-4.
  21. Kahveci M, Koken G, Şahiner Ü M, Soyer Ö, Şekerel BE. Immunoglobulin E-Mediated Food Allergies Differ in East Mediterranean Children Aged 0-2 Years. International archives of allergy and immunology. 2020;181(5):365-74.
  22. Di LL, Wang LX, Ma X, Wen WL, Gao XP. Allergic sensitization in patients with rhinitis and bronchial asthma in Ningxia region of China. Journal of evaluation in clinical practice. 2020;26(3):1001-4.
  23. Ping JD, Zhao JW, Sun XX, Wu F, Jiang ZY, Cheng Z, et al. Prevalence of allergen sensitization among 1,091 patients with urticaria. Experimental and therapeutic medicine. 2020;19(3):1908-14.
  24. Jeong K, Lee SY, Ahn K, Kim J, Lee HR, Suh DI, et al. A multicenter study on anaphylaxis caused by peanut, tree nuts, and seeds in children and adolescents. Allergy. 2017;72(3):507-10.
  25. Pouessel G, Jean-Bart C, Deschildre A, Van der Brempt X, Tanno LK, Beaumont P, et al. Food-induced anaphylaxis in infancy compared to preschool age: A retrospective analysis. Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2020;50(1):74-81.
  26. Sun X, Zhao J, Wang Q, Shi G, Yang J, Ming L. Prevalence of allergen sensitization among 15,534 patients with suspected allergic diseases in Henan Province, China. Asian Pacific journal of allergy and immunology. 2019;37(2):57-64.
  27. Cetinkaya PG, Karaguzel D, Esenboğa S, Sahiner UM, Soyer O, Buyuktiryaki B, et al. Pistachio and cashew nut allergy in childhood: Predictive factors towards development of a decision tree. Asian Pacific journal of allergy and immunology. 2019.
  28. Crealey M, Alamin S, Tormey V, Moylett E. Clinical presentation of cashew nut allergy in a paediatric cohort attending an allergy clinic in the West of Ireland. Irish journal of medical science. 2019;188(1):219-22.
  29. Andorf S, Borres MP, Block W, Tupa D, Bollyky JB, Sampath V, et al. Association of Clinical Reactivity with Sensitization to Allergen Components in Multifood-Allergic Children. The journal of allergy and clinical immunology In practice. 2017;5(5):1325-34.e4.
  30. Chitta S, Lian BX, Rao R, Loh W, Goh A, Chong KW. Cashew nut allergy in Singaporean children. Asia Pacific allergy. 2018;8(3):e29.
  31. Grabenhenrich LB, Dölle S, Moneret-Vautrin A, Köhli A, Lange L, Spindler T, et al. Anaphylaxis in children and adolescents: The European Anaphylaxis Registry. The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology. 2016;137(4):1128-37.e1.
  32. Matias J, Gaspar A, Sokolova A, Borrego LM, Piedade S, Pires G, et al. Tree Nuts Anaphylaxis in Preschool Age Children. Eur Ann Allergy Clin Immunol. 2020;52(4):182-6.
  33. Divaret-Chauveau A, Clerc-Urmès I, Renaudin JM, Cordebar V, Dumond P, Schweitzer C. Threshold dose distribution for cashew nut allergy in children. Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2018;48(7):902-4.
  34. Saba L, Clerc-Urmès I, Delahaye C, Chevillot E, Jarlot-Chevaux S, Dumond P, et al. Predictive factors of allergy to pistachio in children allergic to cashew nut. Pediatric allergy and immunology : official publication of the European Society of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology. 2020;31(5):506-14.
  35. Diogenes MJ, de Morais SM, Carvalho FF. Contact dermatitis among cashew nut workers. Contact Dermatitis. 1996;35(2):114-5.
  36. Diogenes MJ, Vilar MD, Diogenes JA, Morais SM, Serrer MA, Andrade AN, et al. Detection of sensitivity to cardol in north-eastern and south-eastern Brazil. Contact Dermatitis. 2005;52(5):293-4.
  37. Andorf S, Purington N, Kumar D, Long A, O'Laughlin KL, Sicherer S, et al. A Phase 2 Randomized Controlled Multisite Study Using Omalizumab-facilitated Rapid Desensitization to Test Continued vs Discontinued Dosing in Multifood Allergic Individuals. EClinicalMedicine. 2019;7:27-38.
  38. He Z, Dongre P, Lyu SC, Manohar M, Chinthrajah RS, Galli SJ, et al. Identification of cross-reactive allergens in cashew- and pistachio-allergic children during oral immunotherapy. Pediatric allergy and immunology : official publication of the European Society of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology. 2020;31(6):709-14.
  39. Weinberger T, Sicherer S. Current perspectives on tree nut allergy: a review. J Asthma Allergy. 2018;11:41-51.
  40. WHO/IUIS. Allergen Nomenclature "Anacardium occidentale - All Allergen": WHO/IUIS Allergen Nomenclature Sub-Committee; 2020 [26 Janaury 2021]. Available from: http://www.allergen.org/search.php?Species=Anacardium%20occidentale.
  41. Wang F, Robotham JM, Teuber SS, Tawde P, Sathe SK, Roux KH. Ana o 1, a cashew (Anacardium occidental) allergen of the vicilin seed storage protein family. The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology. 2002;110(1):160-6.
  42. Wang F, Robotham JM, Teuber SS, Sathe SK, Roux KH. Ana o 2, a major cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) nut allergen of the legumin family. International archives of allergy and immunology. 2003;132(1):27-39.
  43. Robotham JM, Wang F, Seamon V, Teuber SS, Sathe SK, Sampson HA, et al. Ana o 3, an important cashew nut (Anacardium occidentale L.) allergen of the 2S albumin family. The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology. 2005;115(6):1284-90.
  44. Vanga SK, Raghavan V. Processing effects on tree nut allergens: A review. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition. 2017;57(17):3794-806.
  45. Andorf S, Purington N, Block WM, Long AJ, Tupa D, Brittain E, et al. Anti-IgE treatment with oral immunotherapy in multifood allergic participants: a double-blind, randomised, controlled trial. The lancet Gastroenterology & hepatology. 2018;3(2):85-94.
  46. Bastiaan-Net S, Reitsma M, Cordewener JHG, van der Valk JPM, America T, Dubois AEJ, et al. IgE Cross-Reactivity of Cashew Nut Allergens. International archives of allergy and immunology. 2019;178(1):19-32.
  47. Azcona OM, Romero L, Bartolome B, Balboa V, Vila L. Clinical cross-reactivity among mango, pistachio nut, and cashew nut in allergic children. The journal of allergy and clinical immunology In practice. 2020;8(9):3234-6.e2.
  48. Too JJY, Shek LP, Rajakulendran M. Cross-reactivity of pink peppercorn in cashew and pistachio allergic individuals. Asia Pacific allergy. 2019;9(3):e25.
  49. Fong AT, Du Toit G, Versteeg SA, van Ree R. Pink peppercorn: A cross-reactive risk for cashew- and pistachio-allergic patients. The journal of allergy and clinical immunology In practice. 2019;7(2):724-5.e1.
  50. Mustafa SS, Vadamalai K, Bingemann T, Mortezavi M, Aranez V, Ramsey A. Real-world tree nut consumption in peanut-allergic individuals. Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology. 2020;124(3):277-82.
  51. Brandström J, Lilja G, Nilsson C, Ingemarsson N, Borres MP, Brostedt P, et al. IgE to novel citrus seed allergens among cashew-allergic children. Pediatric allergy and immunology : official publication of the European Society of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology. 2016;27(5):550-3.
  52. Gur Cetinkaya P, Birben E, Kahveci M, Akarsu A, Soyer O, Sahiner UM, et al. Co-sensitization to the fruit seeds and raw potato in children with cashew nut allergy. Allergy. 2020;75(9):2366-9.
  53. Polk BI, Dinakarpandian D, Nanda M, Barnes C, Dinakar C. Association of tree nut and coconut sensitizations. Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology. 2016;117(4):412-6.