Transition from a Botanical to a Molecular Classification in Tree Pollen Allergy: Implications for Diagnosis and Therapy

Mothes, Nadine; Horak, Friedrich; Valenta, Rudolf

doi:10.1159/000082332

Cited by 77 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 261 publications

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“…Pollen grains of trees of the Cupressaceae family including the Taxodiaceae, such as Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica), Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtuse), Cupressus species, and Juniperus species, are relevant sources of allergens (2,3,5). In Europe and North America, birch of Betula species is the most important allergenic tree (5).…”

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confidence: 99%

Cupressaceae Pollen Grains Modulate Dendritic Cell Response and Exhibit IgE-Inducing Adjuvant Activity In Vivo

Kamijo¹,

Takai²,

Kuhara³

et al. 2009

The Journal of Immunology

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Pollen is considered a source of not only allergens but also immunomodulatory substances, which could play crucial roles in sensitization and/or the exacerbation of allergies. We investigated how allergenic pollens from different plant species (Japanese cedar and Japanese cypress, which belong to the Cupressaceae family, and birch, ragweed, and grass) modulate murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cell (DC) responses and examined the effect of Cupressaceae pollen in vivo using mice. DCs were stimulated with pollen extracts or grains in the presence or absence of LPS. Cell maturation and cytokine production in DCs were analyzed by flow cytometry, ELISA, and/or quantitative PCR. Pollen extracts suppressed LPS-induced IL-12 production and the effect was greatest for birch and grass. Without LPS, pollen grains induced DC maturation and cytokine production without IL-12 secretion and the response, for which TLR 4 was dispensable, was greatest for the Cupressaceae family. Intranasal administration of Cupressaceae pollen in mice induced an elevation of serum IgE levels and airway eosinophil infiltration. Coadministration of ovalbumin with Cupressaceae pollen grains induced ovalbumin-specific IgE responses associated with eosinophil infiltration. The results suggest that modulation of DC responses by pollen differs among the plant families via (1) the promotion of DC maturation and cytokine production by direct contact and/or (2) the inhibition of IL-12 production by soluble factors. The strong DC stimulatory activity in vitro and IgE-inducing activity in mice support the clinical relevance of Cupressaceae pollen to allergies in humans.

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confidence: 99%

Cupressaceae Pollen Grains Modulate Dendritic Cell Response and Exhibit IgE-Inducing Adjuvant Activity In Vivo

Kamijo¹,

Takai²,

Kuhara³

et al. 2009

The Journal of Immunology

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“…Diagnostic testing with marker allergens should allow to discriminate between sensitized patients and those who appear falsely positive in extract-based tests because of reactivity with highly cross-reactive allergens from other sources [28, 29]. As Fra e 1 is the major ash pollen allergen and Fra e 1 sensitization is constantly associated with mono- and oligosensitization (while its frequency is bellow 50% in subjects with multiple pollen allergies) [6], we decided to select patients for the calibration study on the basis of this inclusion criteria.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Standardization of an Ash <i>(Fraxinus excelsior) </i>Pollen Allergen Extract

Hrabina

Purohit²,

Oster³

et al. 2006

Int Arch Allergy Immunol

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Background: Ash tree (Fraxinus excelsior) is the main representative of the Oleaceae family in temperate zones. Diagnosis of ash pollen allergy is made difficult due to (1) an overlapping pollinization period with Betulaceae, (2) non-inclusion in current diagnostic assays, and (3) some cross- reactivity with minor allergens from Betulaceae. The aim of this study was to calibrate an ash pollen in-house reference preparation (IHRP) in allergic patients in order to produce standardized products for diagnosis and immunotherapy purposes. Methods: Ash pollen IHRP was extracted, ultrafiltered and freeze dried. Allergens in the extract were detected after 2-dimensional PAGE using specific sera and a monoclonal antibody. The Fra e 1 content of IHRP was evaluated by quantitative immunoprint. Forty-eight subjects from the North-East of France exhibiting clinical symptoms, a positive skin test and specific IgE levels ≧class 2 to ash pollen were recruited. IgE immunoprints were performed to select patients sensitized to the ash Fra e 1 allergen as opposed to cross-reacting allergens. Serial 10-fold dilutions of the IHRP were tested by skin prick tests in order to determine the concentration inducing a geometrical mean wheal diameter of 7 mm, said to correspond to an index of reactivity (IR) of 100 per millilitre. Results: IgE-reactive molecules in IHRP comprise Fra e 1, Fra e 2, a 9-kDa molecule (presumably Fra e 3), as well as a doublet at 15 kDa and high molecular weight allergens. The 100 IR concentration of IHRP inducing a geometrical mean wheal diameter of 7 mm in 22 patients sensitized to Fra e 1 corresponds to the 1/126 (w/v) extraction ratio (i.e. 259 µg/ml of protein by Bradford) and contains 17 µg/ml of Fra e 1. The variability in total activity of 5 batches of standardized extracts was found to be significantly reduced when compared with 7 non-standardized extracts. Conclusion: An ash pollen IHRP was defined and molecularly characterized. Its successful standardization at 100 IR/ml in patients specifically sensitized to Fra e 1 allowed a skin reactivity-based calibration in properly diagnosed patients. Such a standardized ash pollen extract is a reliable tool to support immunotherapy of ash pollen allergy.

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“…This classification process based on molecular allergens would also lead to reconsider several well-known allergenic organisms (i.e. grass species) as part of a unique cluster of immune reactivity, having IgE corecognized structures [4, 29]. …”

Section: Allergen Lists Sequence Databases and Computational Toolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Importance of Databases in Experimental and Clinical Allergology

Mari¹

2005

Int Arch Allergy Immunol

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Information technology (IT) is leading us to reconsider some of the approaches we have been using in both basic research and clinical work in allergology. Resources mainly coming from the advent of the Internet are further amplified by the parallel development of other new tools, such as molecular biology and nanotechnology. These three powerful tools are now available and are cross-linked to a certain degree to express their power when applied to biomedical fields. Bioinformatics applied to allergy simplifies our way of handling an increasing wealth of knowledge. This review assesses the current status of allergen databases that are mainly dedicated to sequence homology collection for computational purposes. Whether or not they integrate features that are now typical of IT in other biomedical fields is analyzed as well. The results of these analyses are discussed with a view to the critical need of integrating biochemical data with clinical, epidemiological information and how this goal can be reached by the use of proteomic microarrays for IgE detection. Future directions for a more comprehensive use of allergen databases are proposed.

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Transition from a Botanical to a Molecular Classification in Tree Pollen Allergy: Implications for Diagnosis and Therapy

Cited by 77 publications

References 261 publications

Cupressaceae Pollen Grains Modulate Dendritic Cell Response and Exhibit IgE-Inducing Adjuvant Activity In Vivo

Cupressaceae Pollen Grains Modulate Dendritic Cell Response and Exhibit IgE-Inducing Adjuvant Activity In Vivo

Standardization of an Ash <i>(Fraxinus excelsior) </i>Pollen Allergen Extract

Importance of Databases in Experimental and Clinical Allergology

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