title: Cross-reactivity of T-cell responses to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and D. farinae. Studies with group 1 and 7 allergens.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Comparative information on T-cell responses to allergens from different Dermatophagoides species is limited even though differences in the epitypic recognition have been described.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the level of T-cell proliferation and cytokine production to allergens from the mite species, D. pteronyssinus and D. farinae.
  
  
  METHODS
  Freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from house dust mite (HDM)-allergic and HDM-nonallergic donors were stimulated with the group 1 and group 7 allergens of D. pteronyssinus and D. farinae and the level of proliferation as well as IL-5 and IFNgamma production were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The proliferative response and the level of IL-5 produced after in vitro challenge with group 1 and group 7 allergens were equivalent for the allergens from both mite species even though D. farinae is not detected in the environment where the study population live. As expected the level of IL-5 production to the individual allergens was higher for the allergic donor group than for the nonallergic donors, however, there was no difference in the level of T-cell proliferation between the different donor groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The proliferative and cytokine response to the group 1 and group 7 allergens for D. pteronyssinus and D. farinae indicates that there is a large degree of T-cell cross-reactivity between the whole purified allergens from each species. This is despite previous reports demonstrating different responses to synthetic peptides representing Der p 1 and Der f 1 in a similar study population.
authors.affiliation: TVW Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, PO Box 855, West Perth WA 6872, Australia.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Hales
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides; D003429:Cross Reactions / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008925:Mites; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides; D006023:Glycoproteins; D015848:Interleukin-5; D007371:Interferon-gamma