APPLICATION OF A PURIFIED ALLERGEN FROM DERMATOPHAGOIDES PTERONYSSINUS FOR ELISA : Detection of Specific IgE and IgG Antibodies

Abstract

A major allergen (Dp1) was purified from the culture medium extract (CME) of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus. The IgE and IgG antibodies specific to Dp1 and CME were measured in human sera by microplate-ELISA. CME-specific IgE antibody was detected in 44% and Dp1-specific IgE antibody was detected in 64% of the sera from asthmatic patients. CME-specific IgG antibody was detected in 92% of the sera from asthmatic patients, while Dp1-specific IgG antibody was demonstrated in only 18% of the same sera. Neither CME-specific nor Dp1-specific IgE antibody was detected in 20 normal sera. As for IgG antibody in normal sera, CME-specific IgG antibody was demonstrated in 60%, while Dp1-specific IgG antibody was detected in 5% of the same sera. Dp1 showed greater IgE-binding activity than CME in most sera from asthmatic patients, indicating that most IgE-binding activites in CME is due to Dp1. The possibility was also confirmed by the fact that anti-CME IgE antibody was absorbed with Dp1. Thus, Dp1 should be called a major allergen in CME.