Peanut proteins linked to allergy severity in children
What it found
In 52 children with peanut allergy, immune responses to two specific peanut proteins tracked closely with how severe their reactions were.
A newly identified protein was also linked to reaction severity.
What they found
Studies in people
Known proteins and severity
Immune responses to two known peanut proteins, called Ara h 2 and Ara h 6, tracked most closely with how severe a child's reaction was during the feeding test.
Seven new allergens found
The researchers found seven additional peanut proteins that triggered an immune response in more than five of the children. Nearly half the group, 46.2%, reacted to one called Annexin Gh1.
More targets, worse reactions
Children whose immune systems reacted to a wider variety of these peanut proteins tended to have more severe allergic reactions overall.
A newly named protein
A seed protein called SBP65, which the authors label Ara h 20, was linked to reaction severity. The authors suggest it may be a newly identified peanut allergen.
What the authors conclude
- They say that immune responses to Ara h 2 and Ara h 6, along with reacting to many different proteins, are the strongest links to peanut allergy severity.
- They identify SBP65, or Ara h 20, as a potential new peanut protein tied to how severe a child's allergy might be.
How it was done
Scientists do not yet fully understand which parts of a peanut trigger more severe allergic reactions in children. The authors wanted to map this out by looking at the blood of allergic children.
They studied 52 children who had a confirmed peanut allergy through a supervised feeding test. They used lab methods to find which peanut proteins the children's immune systems reacted to. They then compared those results to how severe each child's allergic reaction was during the feeding test.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This work looked at children only, so it cannot show whether adults with peanut allergy react the same way.
- It measured links between blood markers and reaction severity, but it does not prove that these specific proteins cause the reactions to be worse.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Allergy and Immunology Center, Japan; Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Japan; General Research and Development Institute, Japan
The paper
- Title
- Exploration of severity-associated peanut allergens via proteomic analysis
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Matsui T, Shimojo N, Ishiguro T, et al (2025). Exploration of severity-associated peanut allergens via proteomic analysis. Pediatric allergy and immunology. doi:10.1111/pai.70254PubMed 41367265DOI
Summary written 1 Oct 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error