Pediatr Allergy Respir Dis.  2012 Dec;22(4):390-396.

Comparative Analysis of Immunoreactivity between Individual Serum and Pooled Serum in Serum Screening

• Lee J
• Lee JO
• Kim J
• Han Y
• Ahn K

Abstract

PURPOSE
Serum screening test to detect specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) is an important step for the assessment of potential allergenicity of genetically modified (GM) food. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of pooled serum for serum screening instead of individual serum.
METHODS
Children with allergic disease were recruited and those who were sensitized to peanut or egg white were selected to obtain their sera. Sensitization to these foods was determined when the level of specific IgE was over 0.35 kU/L by ImmunoCAP. The patients were divided into subgroups according to their level of specific IgE. Raw proteins were extracted and immunoblot analysis was performed to compare the immunoreactivity between individual serum and pooled serum.
RESULTS
Pooled serum from peanut-sensitized allergic children showed all the bands which were shown in immunoblot analysis by using individual serum and peanut protein extract. These findings were demonstrated both in pooled serum with low level of peanut-specific IgE and in those with high level of peanut-specific IgE. Likewise, there was no difference in the immunoreactivity between individual serum and pooled serum from egg white-sensitized allergic children.
CONCLUSION
Pooled serum can be used as an alternative to individual serum for the serum screening in the allergenicity assessment of GM food.

Keyword

Individual Serum; Pooled serum; Serum screening; Genetically modified food

MeSH Terms

Child
Egg White
Food, Genetically Modified
Humans
Immunoglobulin E
Immunoglobulins
Mass Screening
Ovum
Proteins
Immunoglobulin E
Immunoglobulins
Proteins

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Comparison of immunoreactivity between individual and pooled serum with positive peanut-specific immunoglobulin E by immunoblotting analysis. B, blank; N, normal control; P1, pooled serum from patient 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5; P2, pooled serum from patient 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12.

• 

  Fig. 2 Comparison of immunoreactivity between individual and pooled serum with positive egg white-specific immunoglobulin E by immunoblotting analysis. B, blank; N, normal control; P1, pooled serum from patient 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5; P2, pooled serum from patient 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10; P3, pooled serum from patient 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15.

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