title: The prevalence of IgE antibody reactivity against the alkaline serine protease major allergen of Penicillium chrysogenum increases with the age of asthmatic patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Penicillium species are prevalent airborne fungi. However, the prevalence of allergic sensitization to Penicillium antigens and the true impact of these ubiquitous fungi on atopic respiratory disorders remain to be determined.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to analyze the prevalence of immunoglobulin (Ig)E and IgG antibodies against Penicillium chrysogenum (Pen ch 13), the alkaline serine protease major allergen of P. chrysogenum, in asthmatic patients of different age groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pen ch 13 was purified from a culture medium of P. chrysogenum. The reactivity of IgE and IgG antibodies to Pen ch 13 in the serum samples of 212 asthmatic patients was analyzed by immunoblotting methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-nine (33%) of the 212 sera analyzed showed IgE and/or IgG immunoblot reactivity to Pen ch 13. Significant differences in the prevalence of IgE and/or IgG antibody reactivity to Pen ch 13 were found among eight different age groups of 212 asthmatic patients. The frequency of IgE-binding reactivity to Pen ch 13 increased significantly with the age of the patients. It was 7% for the group less than 10 years old and 42% for the group older than 70 years old. In addition, a significant difference between the prevalence of IgE (7%) and IgG (33%) antibodies against Pen ch 13 in the group aged 10 or less was also found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study demonstrates that IgE and IgG antibodies specific for Pen ch 13 were detected in approximately one-third of the 212 asthmatic patients analyzed. Our results suggest that allergic sensitization to Pen ch 13, and possibly to other airborne Penicillium species, is more common in older asthmatic patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Research and Education, Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Ching-Yun
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Jaw-Ji
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Ren-Bin
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Shinn-Shing
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Soo-Ray
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ho-Jen
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Horng-Der
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D000946:Antigens, Fungal / Q000276:immunology; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010408:Penicillium chrysogenum / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology; D015995:Prevalence; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D000946:Antigens, Fungal; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases