Specific depletion of the house dust mite allergen Der p 1 cereal flour prolamins.
BACKGROUND
Quantitation of Der 1 and Der 2 in dust samples by specific monoclonal antibodies is a method used increasingly to evaluate mite allergen exposure. The level of Der 1 has been proposed as a risk factor for sensitization.


OBJECTIVE
We report a drastic decrease in the Der 1/Der 2 ratio when dust samples are collected in bakeries.


METHODS
Wheat flour and purified mites were extracted simultaneously; levels of Der p 1 and Der p 2 and cysteine protease activity were determined by ELISA and inhibition experiments.


RESULTS
High titers of Der 2, but only trace amounts of Der p 1, were detected in dust collected from bakeries. Both the level and proteolytic activity of Der p 1 appeared greatly decreased when mites and wheat flour were coextracted.


CONCLUSIONS
Group 1 protein was found to be masked by flour components, resulting in an underestimation of the mite content in bakery dust. This problem was not found for group 2 allergen.
Barber
D
D
Alergia e Inmunología Abelló (ALK-Abelló Group), Madrid, Spain.
Pernas
M
M
Chamorro
M J
MJ
Carreira
J
J
Arteaga
C
C
Sánchez-Monge
R
R
Polo
F
F
Salcedo
G
G
D000485:Allergens / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides; D004391:Dust / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002523:Edible Grain / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005433:Flour / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008925:Mites / Q000276:immunology*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D055315:Prolamins
D000485:Allergens; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides; D004391:Dust; D000939:Epitopes; D006023:Glycoproteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D055315:Prolamins