BACKGROUND: The mould Alternaria alternata is a major elicitor of allergic asthma. Diagnosis and specific immunotherapy (SIT) of Alternaria allergy are often limited by the insufficient quality of natural mould extracts. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether recombinant Alt a 1 can be used for reliable diagnosis of Alternaria alternata allergy and to develop a safe, non-allergenic vaccine for SIT of Alternaria allergy. METHODS: The qualitative sensitization profile of 80 Alternaria-allergic patients from Austria and Italy was investigated using an allergen micro-array and the amount of Alternaria-specific IgE directed to rAlt a 1 was quantified by ImmunoCAP measurements. Peptides spanning regions of predicted high surface accessibility of Alt a 1 were synthesized and tested for IgE reactivity and allergenic activity, using sera and basophils from allergic patients. Carrier-bound peptides were studied for their ability to induce IgG antibodies in rabbits which recognize Alt a 1 and inhibit allergic patients' IgE reactivity to Alt a 1. RESULTS: rAlt a 1 allowed diagnosis of Alternaria allergy in all tested patients, bound the vast majority (i.e. >95%) of Alternaria-specific IgE and elicited basophil activation already at a concentration of 0.1 ng/mL. Four non-allergenic peptides were synthesized which, after coupling to the carrier protein keyhole limpet hemocyanin, induced Alt a 1-specific IgG and inhibited allergic patients' IgE binding to Alt a 1. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: rAlt a 1 is a highly allergenic molecule allowing sensitive diagnosis of Alternaria allergy. Carrier-bound non-allergenic Alt a 1 peptides are candidates for safe SIT of Alternaria allergy.
BACKGROUND: The mould Alternaria alternata is a major elicitor of allergic asthma. Diagnosis and specific immunotherapy (SIT) of Alternaria allergy are often limited by the insufficient quality of natural mould extracts. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether recombinant Alt a 1 can be used for reliable diagnosis of Alternaria alternata allergy and to develop a safe, non-allergenic vaccine for SIT of Alternaria allergy. METHODS: The qualitative sensitization profile of 80 Alternaria-allergic patients from Austria and Italy was investigated using an allergen micro-array and the amount of Alternaria-specific IgE directed to rAlt a 1 was quantified by ImmunoCAP measurements. Peptides spanning regions of predicted high surface accessibility of Alt a 1 were synthesized and tested for IgE reactivity and allergenic activity, using sera and basophils from allergic patients. Carrier-bound peptides were studied for their ability to induce IgG antibodies in rabbits which recognize Alt a 1 and inhibit allergic patients' IgE reactivity to Alt a 1. RESULTS: rAlt a 1 allowed diagnosis of Alternaria allergy in all tested patients, bound the vast majority (i.e. >95%) of Alternaria-specific IgE and elicited basophil activation already at a concentration of 0.1 ng/mL. Four non-allergenic peptides were synthesized which, after coupling to the carrier protein keyhole limpet hemocyanin, induced Alt a 1-specific IgG and inhibited allergic patients' IgE binding to Alt a 1. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: rAlt a 1 is a highly allergenic molecule allowing sensitive diagnosis of Alternaria allergy. Carrier-bound non-allergenic Alt a 1 peptides are candidates for safe SIT of Alternaria allergy.
Authors: Ignacio Ibarrola; María Suárez-Cervera; M Carmen Arilla; Alberto Martínez; Javier Monteseirín; José Conde; Juan A Asturias Journal: Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol Date: 2004-12 Impact factor: 6.347
Authors: Gabrielle Pauli; Tina H Larsen; Sabina Rak; Friedrich Horak; Elide Pastorello; Rudolf Valenta; Rudolph Valenta; Ashok Purohit; Monica Arvidsson; Alexander Kavina; Jan W Schroeder; Nadine Mothes; Susanne Spitzauer; Armelle Montagut; Sylvie Galvain; Michel Melac; Claude André; Lars K Poulsen; Hans-Jorgen Malling Journal: J Allergy Clin Immunol Date: 2008-11 Impact factor: 10.793
Authors: Justyna Skóra; Anna Otlewska; Beata Gutarowska; Joanna Leszczyńska; Iwona Majak; Łukasz Stępień Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2015-02-16 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Gabriel E Wagner; Sandra Gutfreund; Kerstin Fauland; Walter Keller; Rudolf Valenta; Klaus Zangger Journal: Biomol NMR Assign Date: 2013-05-29 Impact factor: 0.746