Allergen concentration in natural rubber latex.
Authors
Yeang-HY; Hamilton-RG; Bernstein-DI; Arif-SAM; Chow-KS; Loke-YH; Raulf-Heimsoth-M; Wagner-S; Breiteneder-H; Biagini-RE
Source
J Allergy Clin Immunol 2006 Feb; 117(2)(Suppl 1):S132
Abstract
The serum from Hevea latex is commonly used as the in vivo and in vitro reference antigen for latex allergy diagnosis since it contains the entire complement of latex allergens. This study determines the concentrations of the significant allergens in latex serum and examines its suitability as an antigen in latex allergy diagnostics and immunotherapy. The serum phase was extracted from centrifuged latex that was repeatedly freeze-thawed or glycerinated. Quantitation of latex allergens was performed by two-site immunoenzymetric assays. Abundance of RNA transcripts of the latex allergens was estimated from the number of their clones in an Expressed Sequence Tags library. The latex allergens, Hevb I, 2, 3,4,5,6,7 and 13, were detected in freeze-thawed and glycerinated latex serum at levels ranging from 75 (Hev b 6) to 0.06 nmol/mg total proteins (Hevb 4). Hevb 6 content in the latex was tens to a thousand times higher than those of the other seven latex allergens, depending on source and/or preparation procedure. Allergen concentration was reflected in the abundance of mRNA transcripts. Latex allergy diagnostics and immunotherapy that use whole latex serum as antigen may not he optimal because of the marked imbalance of its constituent allergens. When used as the antigen, dilute latex serum may bias the diagnostic outcome towards sensitization to Hevb 6. Tests that make use of dilute latex serum may fail to detect latex-specific IgE reactivity in subjects who are sensitized only to allergens that are present at very low concentrations.
Keywords
Allergens; Allergies; Immunology; In-vitro-studies; In-vivo-studies; Sensitization
Document Type
Abstract; Conference/Symposia Proceedings
Source Name
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
