title: Characterization of allergens of the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis: detection and frequency of IgE antibodies in canine sera.
abstract: Flea allergens, fractionated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and transferred to nitrocellulose, were identified using 20 flea-allergic dog sera in an enhanced chemiluminescent assay for canine IgE antibodies. At least 15 different flea components in the molecular weight range of 14-150 K bound IgE and every serum demonstrated a different pattern of binding. Three of the components with apparent molecular weights of 25, 40 and 58 K were each bound by at least 40% of the sera. No reactivity was seen when normal dog sera were used. These results demonstrate a greater number of flea allergens and a far greater diversity of the IgE antibody response to flea allergens than has previously been described, and suggest that immediate hypersensitivity may be an important mechanism in the pathogenesis of canine flea allergy.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Molecular Genetics and Animal Disease, School of Veterinary Studies, Murdoch University, Western Australia.
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Greene
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Carnegie
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Penhale
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D004285:Dogs; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood*; D007299:Insect Bites and Stings / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D005423:Siphonaptera / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D007106:Immune Sera; D007073:Immunoglobulin E