title: Immunological cross-reactivity between olive and grass pollen: implication of major and minor allergens.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Grasses and olive trees are the most common sources of allergenic pollen worldwide. Although they share some allergens, there are few studies analyzing the in vitro cross-reactivity between them. The aim was to define the cross-reactivity between Olea europaea and Phleum pratense using well-characterized sera of allergic children from Madrid, Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  66 patients (mean age 10.32+/-4.07 years) were included in the study. All suffered from rhinoconjuntivitis and/or asthma and had a positive skin test and/or specific IgE determination to olive and grass pollen. Serum sIgE to individual allergens was conducted and sIgE against different grass species and olive was also determined by ELISA. Inhibition assays were performed using two serum sources, containing, or not, sIgE to minor allergens. Mass spectrometry analysis was performed in both extracts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  59/66 (89.39%) children had a positive sIgE determination by ELISA to grasses and 57/66 (86.36%) to olive pollen. There was no significant correlation between sIgE levels to grass and olive. Inhibition assays demonstrated no cross-reactivity between P. pratense and olive pollen when using the pool containing mainly sIgE to major allergens, whereas minimal to moderate cross-reactivity was detected when the serum contained high sIgE titers to minor allergens. Proteomic analyses revealed the presence of 42 common proteins in grasses and olive pollens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No in vitro cross-reactivity was observed when sIgE was mainly directed to major allergens. In our population, sensitization to olive and grasses is not due to cross-reactivity. The contribution of the major allergens seems to be determinant.
authors.affiliation: Research and Development Department, Inmunotek s.l., Avda. Punto Mobi, 5., Alcalá de Henares (28871), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cases
authors.affiliation: Allergy department, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Av de Menéndez Pelayo, 65., Madrid (28009), Spain.
authors.forename: Maria Dolores
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Ibañez
authors.affiliation: Research and Development Department, Inmunotek s.l., Avda. Punto Mobi, 5., Alcalá de Henares (28871), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Jose Ignacio
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Tudela
authors.affiliation: Allergy department, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Av de Menéndez Pelayo, 65., Madrid (28009), Spain.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Garcia
authors.affiliation: Allergy department, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Av de Menéndez Pelayo, 65., Madrid (28009), Spain.
authors.forename: Pablo Rodriguez
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Del Rio
authors.affiliation: Research and Development Department, Inmunotek s.l., Avda. Punto Mobi, 5., Alcalá de Henares (28871), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Eva A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.affiliation: Allergy department, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Av de Menéndez Pelayo, 65., Madrid (28009), Spain.
authors.forename: Carmelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Escudero
authors.affiliation: Research and Development Department, Inmunotek s.l., Avda. Punto Mobi, 5., Alcalá de Henares (28871), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fernandez-Caldas
keywords: Cross-reactivity; Minor allergens; Olea europaea; Panallergen; Phleum pratense; Pollen