Proteomic approaches for identifying new allergens and diagnosing allergic diseases.
BACKGROUND
Allergic diseases are (IgE)-mediated hypersensitivity reactions affecting more than 25% of the world's population. Proteomic technologies have been increasingly used in the field of allergy and include the use of protein microarrays and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis coupled with immunoblotting.


METHODS
The literature relevant to proteomic approaches to allergic diseases was searched using MEDLINE database. We reviewed proteomics approaches and applications, focusing specifically on two-dimensional immunoblotting techniques and allergen microarrays.


RESULTS
The results obtained show that proteomic approaches using two-dimensional immunoblotting appear to be a powerful strategy for the identification of allergenic proteins. Likewise, the use of allergen microarrays allows a large number of IgE antibodies to be simultaneously identified.


CONCLUSIONS
Proteomic approaches are only beginning to be applied to the study of allergy. In the field of in vitro diagnosis, allergen microarrays provide a promising tool not routinely used in the allergy laboratory. In the near future this powerful technique will be used as a standard technique for in vitro diagnosis of allergy.
González-Buitrago
Jose Manuel
JM
Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario, Salamanca, Spain. buitrago@usal.es
Ferreira
Laura
L
Isidoro-García
María
M
Sanz
Catalina
C
Lorente
Félix
F
Dávila
Ignacio
I
D000485:Allergens / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D011506:Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods*
D000485:Allergens; D000939:Epitopes; D011506:Proteins