title: Orthologous Allergens and Diagnostic Utility of Major Allergen Alt a 1.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hypersensitivity to fungi is associated with rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma. For some fungi, such as Alternaria alternata (A. alternata), the symptoms of asthma are persistent, increasing disease severity and the risk of fatal outcomes. There are a large number of species of fungi but knowledge of them remains limited. This, together with the difficulties in obtaining adequate standardized extracts, means that there remain significant challenges in the diagnosis and immunotherapy of allergy associated with fungi. The type of indoor fungi related to asthma/allergy varies according to geographic, climatic, and seasonal factors, making their study difficult. The aim of this study was to determine hypersensitivity to indoor fungi in a population from Cuenca, Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-five patients with symptoms compatible with rhinitis or asthma who showed clear worsening of their symptoms in their homes or workplace were included. In vivo and in vitro tests were made with a battery of fungal allergens, including the species isolated in the home or workplace.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ulocladium botrytis (U. botrytis) and A. alternata were the most representative species as a source of home sensitization. These species showed very high concordance in skin tests, specific IgE, and histamine release. The allergen Alt a 1, which was recognized in all patients, was detected in A. alternata, U. botrytis, and Stemphylium botryosum (S. botryosum).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  U. botrytis and A. alternata were the most representative species as a source of home sensitization. Alt a 1 was recognized in all patients and may be considered a non-species-specific allergen that could be used as a diagnostic source of sensitization to some species of the Pleosporaceae family.
authors.affiliation: Allergy Service, Hospital of Cuenca, Cuenca, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.affiliation: DIATER laboratories, Madrid, Spain. f.pineda@diater.com.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pineda
authors.affiliation: DIATER laboratories, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alcover
authors.affiliation: DIATER laboratories, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: DIATER laboratories, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Palacios
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University Complutense of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martínez-Naves
keywords: Alt a 1; Alternaria alternata; Ulocladium botrytis; biological standardization; orthologous allergens; pleosporaceae