title: Elongation factor 1 beta/delta of Echinococcus granulosus and allergic manifestations in human cystic echinococcosis.
abstract: Allergic reactions, such as urticaria, itching and anaphylactic shock, often complicate the course of cystic echinococcosis (CE). To investigate the role of the IgE-immunoreactive recombinant Echinococcus granulosus elongation factor-1 beta/delta (EgEF-1 beta/delta) in the allergic disorders during CE we determined humoral and cell-mediated responses to this antigen in patients with CE grouped according to the clinical presence or absence of allergic reactions. Immunoblotting analysis showed that serum IgE-binding reactivity to EgEF-1 beta/delta differed significantly in patients with and without allergic reactions (38 of 42, 90% vs. 31 of 56, 56%; P < 10(-4)). EgEF-1 beta/delta induced a proliferative response in 14 of 19 (74%) patients' peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) irrespective of the allergic manifestations and skewed Th1/Th2 cytokine activation towards a preferentially Th2 polarization. Epitope mapping identified an immunodominant epitope of 18 residues with 78% identity and 89% similarity with an IgE-immunoreactive Strongyloides stercoralis antigen. Overall these findings suggest that EgEF-1 beta/delta is an allergenic molecule that may be a general marker of the intensity of CE immune response and that could lead to a deeper understanding of the specific antigen-induced mechanisms underlying allergic reactions in the human host.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ortona
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Margutti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vaccari
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Riganò
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Profumo
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Buttari
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chersi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Teggi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Siracusano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D004443:Echinococcosis / Q000276:immunology*; D004446:Echinococcus / Q000276:immunology*; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020648:Peptide Elongation Factor 1 / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D020648:Peptide Elongation Factor 1; D007073:Immunoglobulin E