title: Allergen Levels in the Hair of Different Cattle Breeds.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cattle are well-known sources of respiratory allergens in agricultural environments. Breed-specific differences in Bos d 2 (a major bovine allergen) levels in cattle hair have been previously suggested but not fully characterized. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to determine whether hair from common cattle breeds differs in protein and allergen content.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 80 hair samples from 16 different cattle breeds were analyzed. The protein concentration was determined using the Bradford assay. The allergen content was measured using a sandwich ELISA based on polyclonal antibodies against a bovine hair protein extract and a commercial immunoassay based on monoclonal antibodies against Bos d 2. Results are given in micrograms per gram of hair. Statistical analysis was performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman's rank correlation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A wide variability in all 3 tested parameters was observed between the individual samples. The protein content differed by about 35-fold (0.3-12 mg/g), the bovine hair allergen content differed by about 500-fold (37-18,553 µg/g), and the Bos d 2 content differed by about 1,200-fold (5-6,323 µg/g). Protein, bovine hair allergen, and Bod d 2 values correlated strongly and significantly with one another. The median Bos d 2/bovine hair allergen ratio was 0.28. No significant differences were found between the most common breeds in Germany (Simmental, Holstein, and Braunvieh) and a group of rare breeds or between female and male animals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results confirm a high variability in allergen levels between individual animals but also indicate that allergen production is related neither to the breed nor to gender.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance (IPA), Institute of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zahradnik
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sander
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brüning
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raulf
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D059366:Asthma, Occupational / Q000276:immunology*; D002417:Cattle / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology; D009783:Dermatitis, Occupational / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000276:immunology*; D007159:Immunologic Tests; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; C113339:Bos d 2 allergen