FUNGAL ALLERGY

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2006;91:121-33.

Fungal allergies: a yet unsolved problem.

Crameri R, Weichel M, Flückiger S, Glaser AG, Rhyner C.

Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), Davos, Switzerland.

crameri@...

Airborne fungal spores have been implicated as causative factors in respiratory

allergy, particularly asthma. However, the prevalence of fungal sensitization is

not known mainly due to the lack of standardized fungal extracts and to the

overwhelming number of fungal species able to elicit IgE-mediated reactions.

Recent work based on high-throughput cloning of fungal allergens revealed that

fungi are able to produce extremely complex repertoires of species-specific and

cross-reactive allergens. There is evidence that fungal sensitization also

contributes to auto-reactivity against self-antigens due to shared epitopes with

homologous fungal allergens. Detailed studies at structural and immunological

level indicate molecular mimicry as a basic mechanism involved in perpetuation

of severe chronic allergic diseases. The real challenge at present is not

related to cloning or production of a large number of different fungal allergens

but rather to the assessment of the clinical relevance of each single structure.

To date, substitution of complex extracts presently used in the diagnosis of

fungal allergy by single, perfectly standardized components seems feasible in

contrast to specific immunotherapy which is still not developed. Recombinant

fungal allergens might create new perspectives in diagnosis and therapy of

fungal allergy.

PMID: 16354954 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Publication Types, MeSH Terms, Substances

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2008 Nov-Dec;29(6):629-35.

Prevalence of IgE reactivities in mold-allergic subjects to commercially

available fungal enzymes.

Horner WE, Armstrong M, El-Dahr J, McCants M, Reese G, Kobernick AK, Lehrer SB.

Section of Clinical Immunology, Allergy and Rheumatology, Department of

Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.

Fungi are important aeroallergens. However, fungal allergen sources of

consistent quality for clinical testing are not readily available. Because some

allergens have been identified as enzymes, we assessed the prevalence of IgE

reactivity to commercially available fungal enzymes. The purpose of this study

was to determine IgE antibody reactivity by radioallergosorbent assay (RAST) to

commercially available fungal enzymes in mold-allergic individuals. Sera from 20

subjects with symptoms of respiratory allergies and skin test reactivity to 2 or

more fungal allergens (4 conidial [imperfecti] fungi and/or 8 basidiomycetes)

were selected. Controls were six atopic individuals with neither history of

fungal allergy nor skin test reactivity to fungi. Seventeen commercial fungal

enzymes were used as antigens to evaluate the subjects' IgE antibody reactivity

by RAST. Sera from most fungus-allergic individuals showed substantial IgE

antibody reactivity to enzymes; control sera showed little or no reactivity. The

mean reactivity to all commercial enzymes of all subjects tested was RAST > or =

3% with only one exception. The most reactive fungal enzymes were invertase

(bakers' yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae), cellulase (Trichoderma viride), and

glucosidase (brewers yeast, S. cerevisiae) with mean binding of 14.6, 9.5, and

8.8%, respectively. Using RAST results with a combination of four enzymes from

S. cerevisiae (brewers yeast glucosidase, bakers' yeast maltase, invertase, and

invertase V), a sensitivity of 100% was shown for detecting mold-allergic

patients. The studies suggest that fungal enzymes may be useful source materials

for the identification of fungal allergens and may also provide readily

available source materials to produce improved diagnostic and therapeutic

reagents.

PMID: 19173790 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19173790?ordinalpos=1 & itool=EntrezSystem2.PEn\

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