Enzymatic hydrolysis of allergens extracted from the house dust mite, Dermatophagoides farinae.

The crude extract of the house dust mite, Dermatophagoides farinae, was subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis by the use of trypsin and pronase. The hydrolysate was fractionated by gel-filtration and ion-exchange chromatographies. Allergenic activities of the fractions were measured by Prausnitz-Küstner type skin test on guinea pig skin with homocytotropic antibodies. Major allergenic component passed through anion and cation Dowex resins but its yield was not large. On gel-filtration, the mite digest showed two major peaks of absorbance and the allergenic activity was found in the first one. This active peak was resolved into two active fractions when it was chromatographed on DEAE-Sephadex.