Immunoblot studies in birch pollen-allergic patients with and without fruit hypersensitivity: part II: antibody pattern for fruit extracts.
Patients allergic to birch pollen also exhibit more hypersensitivity reactions to fresh fruits and vegetables than do patients allergic to other pollens. Several investigations have indicated a possible partial immunological identity between birch pollen and fruits. To study this, 23 birch pollen-allergic patients 12 with (FH+) and 11 without (FH-) fruit hypersensitivity and 10 nonatopic controls were examined with self-prepared apple-peel, cherry, and peach extracts by immunoblotting. The self-prepared extracts were characterized by histamine release studies with 20 FH+ birch pollen-allergic patients. Specific IgE, IgG, IgG1, IgG4, IgA, and IgM binding patterns of the fruit extracts presented an individual distribution with at least 1-3 IgE bands at varying molecular weight locations. The FH+ group expressed intense IgE binding to the different extracts compared to the FH- group, and even the control group showed all immunoglobulin classes, though different frequencies and intensities compared to the allergic groups. It seemed that the specific IgE > IgG > IgM relation to a single antigen is important for distinguishing between symptomatic and asymptomatic persons. With this hypothesis we found most IgE with less IgG binding to apple-peel in the region of 22-28 kd and 43-56 kd, cherry: 15-25 kd and 72- > 90 kd and peach 35-41 kd and 66-76 kd, suggesting that these proteins might be important for cross-reactivity with birch pollen and developing fruit hypersensitivity.
Jeep
S
S
Allergy and Asthma Clinic, Charité Virchow-Klinikum, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.
Pilz
B
B
Baisch
A
A
Kleine-Tebbe
J
J
Ohnemus
U
U
Kunkel
G
G
D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D029662:Betula / Q000276:immunology*; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D005638:Fruit / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000276:immunology; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology*
D000906:Antibodies; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D010936:Plant Extracts; D007073:Immunoglobulin E