Allergic reactions to products containing natural rubber latex often result from exposure of sensitized individuals to one or more proteins that occur naturally in raw latex preparations. At least 13 distinct proteins have been identified and associated with latex sensitivities in health care workers, spina bifida patients, and children or adults within the general population, with most allergic patients reacting to multiple latex proteins that vary somewhat between these groups.

 

Structure‐function‐activity relationships

 

The biological functions or enzymatic activities associated with most latex allergens have been determined. Several of these proteins are active enzymes involved in defending the latex plant from microbial attacks, particularly colonization and growth of numerous fungi. In general, proteins that serve similar functions in different plants (whether genetically related or not) usually contain highly conserved sequences and three‐dimensional structures, so it is not surprising to find plant defense or pathogenesis‐related proteins with activities comparable to those found in latex in a wide variety of plants that include many common foods.