Allergy Asthma Immunol Res.  2019 Jan;11(1):143-151. 10.4168/aair.2019.11.1.143.

Pollen/Fruit Syndrome: Clinical Relevance of the Cypress Pollen Allergenic Gibberellin-Regulated Protein

• Sénéchal H
• Keykhosravi S
• Couderc R
• Selva MA
• Shahali Y
• Aizawa T
• Busnel JM
• Arif R
• Mercier I
• Pham-Thi N
• Charpin DA
• Poncet P

• KMID: 2426792
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4168/aair.2019.11.1.143

Abstract

A pollen/food-associated syndrome (PFAS) has been described between peach and cypress pollen. Cross-reactive allergens were characterized which belong to the Gibberellin-regulated protein (GRP) family, BP14 in cypress pollen and Pru p 7 in peach. GRP are small cationic protein with anti-microbial properties. A patient suffering from a peach/cypress syndrome was explored clinically and biologically using 2 types of immunoglobulin E (IgE) multiarray microchip, immunoblots and a basophil activation test to assess the clinical relevance of various extracts and purified allergens from fruits or cypress pollen. In addition to PR10 sensitization, the patient showed specific IgE to Pru p 7, BP14 and allergen from pomegranate. These last 3 allergens and allergenic sources are able to induce ex vivo basophil activation characterized by the monitoring of the expression of CD63 and CD203c, both cell surface markers correlated with a basophil mediator release. Up to 100% of cells expressed CD203c at 50 ng/mL of BP14 protein. In contrast, snakin-1, a GRP from potato sharing 82% sequence identity with Pru p 7 did not activate patient's basophils. These results strongly suggest that, like Pru p 7, BP14 is a clinically relevant allergenic GRP from pollen. Allergen members of this newly described protein family are good candidates for PFAS where no cross-reactive allergens have been characterized.

Keyword

Cypress; pollen; peach; pomegranate; allergen; basophil

MeSH Terms

Allergens
Basophils
Cupressus*
Fruit
Humans
Immunoglobulin E
Immunoglobulins
Pollen*
Prunus persica
Punicaceae
Solanum tuberosum
Allergens
Immunoglobulin E
Immunoglobulins

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 IgE immunoreactivity to extracts and proteins. (A) SDS-PAGE coomassie blue (lanes 5, 7, 8) or silver nitrate (lanes 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 10) stained proteins. IgE immunoblots with patient serum (lanes 0 to 10). Negative controls (B) 2-DE. Left panel: silver-stained total proteins. Right panel: IgE immunoblot with patient serum. Relative molecular masses in kDa. SDS-PAGE, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; 2-DE, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis.

• 

  Fig. 2 Basophil activation test: ex vivo activation of patient's basophils expressing CD203c (A) or CD63 (B) standardized activation markers (anti-IgE, 100% activation), (no allergen, 0% activation). Four serial concentrations were used: 10 to 104 ng/mL of each extract, 1 to 103 ng/mL for recombinant proteins and 5 to 5 × 103 ng/mL for native BP14. One concentration of each allergenic source was used for the control patient's basophils.

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