Why some proteins do not denature and subsequently trigger allergic reactions and hypersensitivity while others do is not entirely clear.Hypersensitivities are categorized according to the parts of the immune system that are attacked and the amount of time it takes for the response to occur. The four types of hypersensitivity reaction are:  type 1, immediate IgE-mediated; type 2, cytotoxic; type 3, immune complex-mediated; and type 4, delayed cell-mediated. The pathophysiology of allergic responses can be divided into two phases. The first is an acute response that occurs immediately after exposure to an allergen. This phase can either subside or progress into a "late-phase reaction" which can substantially prolong the symptoms of a response, and result in tissue damage.Many food allergies are caused by hypersensitivities to particular proteins in different foods. Proteins have unique properties that allow them to become allergens, such as stabilizing forces in their tertiary and quaternary structures which prevent degradation during digestion. Many theoretically allergenic proteins cannot survive the destructive environment of the digestive tract, thus do not trigger hypersensitive reactions. Acute response
In the early stages of allergy, a type I hypersensitivity reaction against an allergen, encountered for the first time, causes a response in a type of immune cell called a TH2 lymphocyte, which belongs to a subset of T cells that produce a cytokine called interleukin-4 (IL-4). These TH2 cells interact with other lymphocytes called B cells, whose role is the production of antibodies.
Other formulas, based on free amino acids, are the least antigenic and provide complete nutritional support in severe forms of milk allergy.Crustaceans (shrimp, crab, lobster, etc.) and molluscs (mussel, oyster, scallop, squid, octopus, snail, etc.) are different invertebrate classes, but the allergenic protein tropomyosin is present and responsible for cross-reactivity.People with latex allergy often also develop allergies to bananas, kiwifruit, avocados, and some other foods. Pathophysiology
Conditions caused by food allergies are classified into three groups according to the mechanism of the allergic response:
IgE-mediated (classic) – the most common type, occurs shortly after eating and may involve anaphylaxis. Non-IgE mediated – characterized by an immune response not involving immunoglobulin E; may occur some hours after eating, complicating diagnosis
IgE and/or non-IgE-mediated – a hybrid of the above two typesAllergic reactions are hyperactive responses of the immune system to generally innocuous substances. When immune cells encounter the allergenic protein, IgE antibodies are produced; this is similar to the immune systems reaction to foreign pathogens. The IgE antibodies identify the allergenic proteins as harmful and initiate the allergic reaction. The harmful proteins are those that do not break down due to the strong bonds of the protein. IgE antibodies bind to a receptor on the surface of the protein, creating a tag, just as a virus or parasite becomes tagged.