title: Mould allergens: Where do we stand with molecular allergy diagnostics?: Part 13 of the series Molecular Allergology.
abstract: The official WHO/IUIS database (www.allergen.org) currently lists 77 mould allergens from a variety of protein families. To date, only eight recombinant single allergens from three mould species are available for molecular allergy diagnosis of mould sensitization. These include rAlt a 1, the major allergen inAlternaria alternata-sensitized individuals, and enolase rAlt a 6 with it potential cross-reactivity to mould, food and natural latex allergens. rAsp f 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 fromAspergillus fumigatusare available for diagnostic purposes; specific IgE to rAsp f 2, 4 and 6 is often positive in allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA). The dehydrogenase rCla h 8 is considered a major allergen ofCladosporium herbarumwith possible cross-reactivity to other dehydrogenase allergens. The narrow range of commercially available individual mould allergens should be expanded to include marker allergens typical for mould (e.g., serine proteases). In addition, standardization of total extracts needs to be improved in the future to guarantee valid mould products with defined allergen content for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
authors.affiliation: Allergology/Immunology, Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine, German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr-University Bochum (IPA), Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789 Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kespohl
authors.affiliation: Allergology/Immunology, Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine, German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr-University Bochum (IPA), Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789 Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raulf
keywords: alternaria; aspergillus; diagnostic; mould species; recombinant single allergens