Asia Pac Allergy.  2012 Jan;2(1):35-44. 10.5415/apallergy.2012.2.1.35.

IgE cross-reactivity between house dust mite allergens and Ascaris lumbricoides antigens

• Valmonte G
• Cauyan GA
• Ramos JD

• KMID: 2397409
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5415/apallergy.2012.2.1.35

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Common antigens between intestinal parasites and environmental allergens may play a role in the modulation of allergic immune responses. There is a growing interest in investigating cross-reactivity between common helminths and dust mites affecting humans, particularly in the tropics.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined the cross-reactivity between the human roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides (Al) and three house dust mite (HDM) species.
METHODS
Specific serum IgE levels to HDM species Blomia tropicalis (Bt), Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dp), and Dermatophagoides farinae (Df ); and Al extracts among allergic (n=100) and ascariasis (n=60) subjects were measured through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). IgE-reactive components of HDM and Al extracts were detected through Western-Blot Analysis. Cross-reactivity between HDMs and Al was determined by ELISA inhibition using HDM and Al-specific sera from allergic (n=15) and ascariasis (n=15) subjects. The IgE-binding capacity of a recombinant paramyosin peptide (Blo t 11-fD) to allergic (n=50) and ascariasis (n=50) subjects' sera were likewise determined.
RESULTS
Among allergic subjects, 70% exhibited Al-specific positive IgE-reactivity, while 20-28% of ascariasis subjects demonstrated HDM-specific positive IgE-reactivity. Multiple IgE-reactive components of HDM allergens (14-240 kDa) and Al antigens (15-250 kDa) were detected, indicating multi-allergen sensitization among the subjects tested. Al antigens can inhibit up to 92% of HDM-specific IgE-reactivity among allergic subjects, while up to 54% of Al-specific IgE-reactivity among ascariasis subjects was inhibited by HDM allergens. Positive rBlo t 11-fD-specific IgE reactivity was observed in 80% of the allergic subjects and 46% of the ascariasis subjects.
CONCLUSIONS
This study showed the presence of multiple cross-reactive antigens in HDM and Al extracts. Identification of these molecules may provide basis for designing novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. The potential role of paramyosin as a specific cross-reactive allergen present in HDMs and Al has been shown.

Keyword

Atopy; Immunity; Infection; Paramyosin; Parasitism

MeSH Terms

Allergens
Ascariasis
Ascaris lumbricoides*
Ascaris*
Dermatophagoides farinae
Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus
Dust*
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Helminths
Humans
Immunoglobulin E*
Mites
Parasites
Pyroglyphidae*
Tropomyosin
Allergens
Dust
Immunoglobulin E
Tropomyosin

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 IgE Reactivity of Allergic patients to Blomia tropicalis (Bt), Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dp), Dermatophagoides farinae (Df) and Ascaris lumbricoides (Al) extracts. Black horizontal lines indicate the cut-off values for positive reactions obtained by computing the mean+SD of the IgE reactivity of the control groups.

• 

  Fig. 2 IgE-Reactivity of ascariasis patients to Blomia tropicalis (Bt), Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dp), Dermatophagoides farinae (Df) and Ascaris lumbricoides (Al) extracts. Black horizontal lines indicate the cut-off values for positive reactions obtained by computing the mean+SD of the IgE reactivity of the control groups.

• 

  Fig. 3 Western-blot analysis of (A) Blomia tropicalis, (B) Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, (C) Dermatophagoides farinae, and (D) Ascaris lumbricoides aqueous extracts to selected sera from allergic (A-C) and ascariasis (D) patients. IgE-binding proteins present in the extracts were marked with arrow heads.

• 

  Fig. 4 Percentage inhibition of Al to the IgE-reactivity of allergic patients against (A) Blomia tropicalis (Bt), (B) Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dp), (C) Dermatophagoides farinae (Df), and (D) Ascaris lumbricoides (Al); and percentage inhibition of Bt (D), Dp (E), and Df (F) to the IgE reactivity of ascariasis patients against HDM extracts. Percentage Inhibitions are computed as: ([absorbance of unincubated serum (at 405 nm) - absorbance of pre-incubated serum]/ absorbance of unincubated serum × 100).

• 

  Fig. 5 IgE Reactivity to rBlo t 11-fD of Allergic and Al-infested subjects. Black horizontal lines indicate cut off values for positive reactions obtained by getting the mean+SD of the IgE reactivity of non-allergic, non-ascariasis controls against rBlo t 11-fD.

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