Studies on Allergen and Allergoid Preparations from Purified Timothy <i>(Phleum pratense)</i> Pollen Extracts

Abstract

The allergenic activities of allergen (GEN) and allergoid (GOID) preparations from partially purified timothy pollen extract were investigated in quantitative skin prick tests and nasal provocation tests. In skin prick test GOID yielded significantly less activity than GEN. Approximately 90 times more protein of GOID than of GEN was necessary to elicit wheals of the same mean size as 1 mg/ml histamine control solution (1 HEP). In nasal provocation the patients seemed to react differently with respect to their nasal sensitivity to GOID. One group of patients showed equal sensitivity to GOID and GEN, whereas the second group showed higher thresholds to GOID. These differences in nasal sensitivity to GOID could be of practical value to predict the optimal dosage schedule for the treatment of patients with GOID.

Measurement of basophil‐activating capacity of grass pollen allergens, allergoids and hypoallergenic recombinant derivatives by flow cytometry using anti‐CD203c

“…As expected from earlier studies concerning the reduced IgE‐reactivity of allergoids [2–5, 23], these chemically modified grass pollen allergens showed a clear reduction in basophil activation. It varied between different patients for grass pollen allergoids in a range of a 10 1 –10 4 ‐fold reduction, reflecting different epitope recognition patterns of the patients.…”

“…Allergoids are used successfully as an alternative to natural allergens for specific immunotherapy. They offer the advantage of reduced IgE‐binding and thus anaphylactic activity while immunological capacity is retained [1–7]. Recombinant hypoallergenic variants of allergens may provide an improved alternative for specific immunotherapy in future [8–12].…”