Variability in different strains of Cladosporium herbarum with special attention to carbohydrates and contents of two important allergens (Ag-32 and Ag-54).

Ten different strains of Cladosporium herbarum cultivated and extracted under identical experimental conditions were compared with respect to: 1) carbohydrates quantified by methanolysis and gas-liquid chromatography, 2) contents of two important Cladosporium allergens Ag-32 and Ag-54 estimated by rocket radioimmunoelectrophoresis, 3) protein content determined by the Lowry and Bradford methods, respectively, and 4) allergenic activity as measured by RAST. The allergen extracts contained 45-73% carbohydrate material which mainly consisted of mannose, galactose and glucose. The Ag-54 content increased with increasing mannose and decreasing glucose concentration. No linear correlation between carbohydrate content and allergenic activity was found. The strains differed extensively in immunological composition. One of the strains totally lacked Ag-32 and Ag-54. To be clinically relevant, allergen preparations of C. herbarum should be based on a representative pool of several C. herbarum strains.