Kunitz Soybean Trypsin Inhibitor

Abstract

ALTHOUGH foods are common causes of anaphylaxis,¹ the responsible allergens, with the exception of the one from codfish muscle,^2,3 remain uncharacterized. Soybean products are recognized causes¹ and are commonly encountered, often in an unrecognizable form,⁴ in processed and restaurant foods. In some cases, IgE antibody has been documented by radioallergosorbent methods and skin testing with crude soybean extracts, rather than purified allergens, as test materials.^5,6 Proteinase inhibitors from plants are widely used in biochemical research and are highly characterized molecules.⁷ The best known is the Kunitz soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI).⁸-¹⁰ This report documents a specific IgE-antibody response . . .