title: Isolation of an immunodominant IgE hapten from an epitope expression cDNA library. Dissection of the allergic effector reaction.
abstract: An epitope expression cDNA library was constructed from the randomly fragmented cDNA coding for Phl p I, the major grass pollen allergen. Using IgE from allergic patients, epitope clones were isolated and immunodominant fragments were selected. Among three epitope clones coding for a similar region of Phl p I, one clone expressed a 15-amino-acid epitope which was target for IgE antibodies from approximately 30% of grass pollen allergic patients. According to the prevalence of grass pollen allergy, 22% of all allergic patients are expected to display IgE reactivity with this epitope. Although the purified recombinant epitope specifically bound IgE, it did not release histamine from basophiles of most grass pollen allergic patients and thus represents an IgE hapten. Immunodominant IgE haptens may be useful as therapeutic agents to saturate mast cell-bound IgE prior to allergen exposure and may represent candidates for a safe immunotherapy of allergic diseases by reducing anaphylactic side effects.
authors.affiliation: Institute of General and Experimental Pathology, AKH, University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ball
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vrtala
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Sperr
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Valent
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Susani
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kraft
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valenta
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D001483:Base Sequence; D001491:Basophils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D000939:Epitopes / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004926:Escherichia coli; D015723:Gene Library; D006241:Haptens / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006636:Histamine Release / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006109:Poaceae / Q000276:immunology; D011058:Pollen; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D000939:Epitopes; D006241:Haptens; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C090396:PHLPI protein, Phleum pratense; D007073:Immunoglobulin E