Allergy to basidiospores: immunologic studies.
Fruiting bodies of larger basidiomycetous fungi were collected over a 15 month period from natural habitats and a total of 67 different antigenic extracts were prepared from spores or tissue, in buffered saline, pH8, and standardised at 1:50 and 1:10 (W/V) concentrations. A number of heterogeneous and diagnosed allergic patients were tested by skin prick test method with the extracts of either individual species or mixtures of related species. Up to 22% patients reacted positively, indicating their possible IgE mediated reactions and the allergenic potency of the species involved. The potential allergenicity of many of these genera and/or species has not been reported previously. The findings suggest that basidiospores could be a possible major factor for the high respiratory allergy incidence in the Auckland region and necessitate further investigation.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology; D001487:Basidiomycota / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D012621:Seasons; D012882:Skin Tests; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000276:immunology