title: Mercurialis annua: characterization of main allergens and cross-reactivity with other species.
abstract: A multicentric study was conducted to evaluate the frequency of Mercurialis annua pollen sensitization in several areas of Spain and to select a population sample to characterize the main allergenic components in M. annua pollen. Patients were recruited from six hospitals in Spain. Out of 420 patients sensitized to pollens, 195 (46.4%) showed positive skin tests to M. annua, thus evidencing the high level of sensitization to the pollen of this plant in Spain. Thirty-seven sera with RAST class values to M. annua > or = 3 were selected for SDS-PAGE immunoblotting analysis. Two main allergenic components with molecular weights of 15.8 and 14.1 kD were detected in 59 and 51% of the sera, respectively, and they were identified as profilins. Isolation of the relevant allergens was made by affinity chromatography on a poly-L-proline-Sepharose column, followed by gel filtration and anion exchange chromatography in the micropreparative SMARTs System. A significant but low antigenic cross-reactivity between M. annua and Olea europaea, Fraxinus elatior, Ricinus communis, Salsola kali, Parietaria judaica and Artemisia vulgaris was demonstrated by several in vitro techniques.
authors.affiliation: IFIDESA-ARISTEGUI, Bilbao, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vallverdú
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: García-Ortega
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Esteban
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Molina
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fernández-Távora
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bartolomé
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Palacios
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003429:Cross Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011058:Pollen / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011817:Rabbits; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D012882:Skin Tests; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D000941:Antigens; D010940:Plant Proteins