Identification of a polygalacturonase (Cup s 2) as the major CCD-bearing allergen in Cupressus sempervirens pollen.

As IgE glyco-epitopes, also referred to as cross-reactive carbohydrate determinants (CCDs), can share significant structural homologies between different plants, they are prone to extensive cross-reactivity among allergen pollen extracts. Here, cypress pollen allergens, especially a polygalacturonase (PG), were further characterized using double one-dimensional electrophoresis (D1-DE). The presence of specific IgE directed against CCDs was investigated by bromelain IgE inhibition and concanavalin A binding assays using sera of cypress pollen-sensitized patients. Our results showed that IgE reactivity to CCDs in Cupressus sempervirens pollen extracts is mainly related to bromelain-type epitopes of a newly identified cypress PG. This glycoprotein has been further characterized through an immunoproteomic approach and officially indexed as Cup s 2 by the WHO/IUIS allergen nomenclature. Cup s 2 could thus be associated with the increased prevalence of IgE reactivity to cypress pollen extracts because of CCD interference.

Ragweed pollen in France: origin, diffusion, exposure.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: To detect the origin of ragweed pollen and to measure the impact of this pollen exposure on allergic patients, so their sensitivity can be noted (using specific IgE production: sIgEw1) in order to inform the population about an "allergy" against those ragweed pollen grains. MATERIAL AND METHODS: To measure population exposure to ragweed pollen, the R.N.S.A (National Aerobiological Monitoring Network, a French association) has a pollen trap network located in urban areas. These traps allow continuous recording of airborne pollen, the light microscope analysis (with a bi-hourly time step) allows one to know the daily concentrations of ragweed grains and the circadian rhythm of grains impaction. It is thus possible to follow the evolution of pollination during each day ofeach season and to compare seasons and years at each station. Biomnis is a biological laboratory which performs more than 85% of ragweed specific IgE assay in France. It seems to be clear that when allergists ask ragweed IgE for a patient, it is because they think that this patient seems to be allergic to this specific pollen. The statistical analysis of results about specific IgE (for ragweed) from the Allergology laboratories Biomnis (located in Lyon and Paris) can determine the number ofpatients sensitized to ragweed in French departments. RESULTS: The distribution ofsensitized patients to ragweed is compared to ragweed pollen distribution studied by the R.N.S.A from the year 2005 to 2008 in France, whatever the ragweed plant' origin: local (closed topollen trap) or imported (by wind). CONCLUSION: The biological database (Health impact) allows a correlation between the geographical distribution ofragweed pollen and the number ofpatients with specific IgE against ragweed (sIgEw1), i.e., whose sensitization is due to local plants. That also permits one to estimate the expected number of allergy cases in the next years, because the sensitivity precedes the allergy.

Peanut allergy diagnosis in the context of grass pollen sensitization for 125 patients: roles of peanut and cross-reactive carbohydrate determinants specific IgE.

BACKGROUND: In vitro testing for food allergy may yield clinically irrelevant results due to cross-reactive carbohydrate determinants (CCD) specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) induced by pollen exposure. The performances of 2 in vitro methods were evaluated for peanut sIgE measurement in patients allergic to grass pollen with or without subsequent allergy to peanuts. The correlation between clinically irrelevant peanut sIgE and the presence of CCD sIgE was investigated. METHODS: In vitro measurement of peanut sIgE was performed using the Pharmacia ImmunoCap system Radio Immuno Assay (RIA) and the Immulite 2000 3gAllergy system. Discrepancies between in vitro results and peanut allergy diagnosis were evaluated by measurement of CCD sIgE using bromelain and ascorbic acid oxydase (AAO). RESULTS: The sensitivity was 100% with both systems for the diagnosis of allergy to peanut (58 patients), nevertheless the specificity obtained with Immulite (73%) was better than that obtained using ImmunoCap (46%) in patients who were not allergic to peanuts, but who had a grass pollen allergy (n = 41). In 22 out of 41 patients who presented clinically irrelevant peanut sIgE results using ImmunoCAP, CCD sIgE was detected in 72% of the cases by bromelain and in 86% by AAO. In 11 patients out of 41 who presented irrelevant peanut sIgE results using Immulite, CCD sIgE was detected in 81% of the cases by bromelain and in 100% by AAO. CONCLUSION: The Immulite 2000 system had better specificity than the ImmunoCap system for accurate diagnosis of peanut allergy in patients allergic to grass pollen. CCD sIgE was identified in most of the false-positive peanut sIgE results.