title: Purified natural rubber latex antigens show variable reactivity with IgE in the sera of latex allergic patients.
abstract: Immediate-hypersensitivity reactions related to latex products have increased rapidly in recent years. However, a reliable diagnosis is hampered by lack of purified and well characterized latex allergens. We have purified allergens in natural rubber latex (NRL) after SDS-PAGE by electroelution, and tested specific IgE-binding activities of these isolated allergens by ELISA. Ten sera from spina bifida patients and 5 sera from health care workers with latex allergy were evaluated for specific IgE antibody in the sera using ELISA. Five normal controls with no evidence of latex allergy were also studied. None of the isolated allergens reacted with normal control sera used. Among the latex allergic patients' sera studied, 11, 9, 9, 2, and 6 sera reacted with 27, 23, 21, 17, and 10 kDa isolated allergens, respectively. Each latex allergic serum reacted with at least one of the purified allergens, indicating a diversity in response to latex. The isolated and purified latex allergens may, however, be useful to identify latex allergy in patients.
authors.affiliation: Asthma and Allergy Center, MEdical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: V P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Kurup
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Fink
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D007840:Latex / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D007840:Latex; D010455:Peptides; D007073:Immunoglobulin E