1977 Volume 26 Issue 12 Pages 817-826,839
The cross-allergenicity of Compositae pollens was investigated using skin test. RAST, in vivo neutralization test of reaginic serum by P-K reaction, absorption of reaginic serum with solid-phase pollen antigens and agar gel diffusion. The results obtained were as follows. 1) The good correlation between skin test and RAST suggested strongly that the cross-allergenicity was found among Compositae pollens such as short ragweed, wormwood, goldenrod, chrysanthemum, dandelion. cocklebur, daisy, cosmos and marigold. 2) The cross-allergenicity between short ragweed and wormwood was observed in the minor allergen of these pollens. 3) The antigenicity of goldenrod was closer to that of wormwood as compared with that of short ragweed. 4) The results of skin test, RAST and agar gel diffusion using each rabbit anti-pollen extract serum suggested that the major allergen of wormwood was found to be identical with that of chrysanthemum. 5) The hypersensitivity reactions mediated by compositae pollens might result in the cross-allergenicity with either short ragweed or wormwood. However, the antigenicity of other Compositae pollens except for cocklebur was more closely related to that of wormwood than short ragweed.
