Allergy Asthma Respir Dis.  2014 Nov;2(5):337-343. 10.4168/aard.2014.2.5.337.

Identification of IgE binding components of two major weed pollens, ragweed and mugwort

• Yoon MG
• Kim MA
• Jin HJ
• Shin YS
• Park HS

• KMID: 1803540
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4168/aard.2014.2.5.337

Abstract

PURPOSE
Ragweed and mugwort pollens are the major weed allergens that cause pollinosis in Korea. The IgE-binding components to these 2 pollens and their cross-reactivity have not been reported in Korea, while several reports had been made in Western countries. We investigated IgE-binding components to ragweed and mugwort pollens and their allergenic relationship in patients sensitive to the 2 pollens.
METHODS
We enrolled 33 allergic rhinitis patients with typical seasonal pollinosis symptoms in autumn and elevated serum specific IgE levels to ragweed and/or mugwort pollens (>10 kU/L by ImmunoCAP). The protein bands of the 2 pollen extracts were determined using sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and IgE immunoblot analysis was performed to determine the IgE-binding components of each pollen extract. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) inhibition and immunoblot inhibition tests were performed to evaluate the cross-reactivity between ragweed and mugwort pollen extracts.
RESULTS
Eight IgE-binding components (9, 10, 11, 12, 27, 30, 38, and 80 kDa) were found in ragweed pollen extracts, of which 4 (38, 11, 27, and 80 kDa) were major IgE-binding components. Eight IgE-binding components (10, 14, 16, 20-24, 26-30, 42, 60-66, and 80-90 kDa) were found in mugwort pollen extracts, of which 2 components (26-30 and 20-24 kDa) were major IgE-binding components. No significant inhibitions were noted between ragweed and mugwort pollen extracts by the ELISA inhibition test. No significant changes were noted in IgE immunoblot inhibition analysis.
CONCLUSION
We identified 4 major IgE-binding components (38, 11, 35, 27, and 80 kDa) in ragweed pollens and 2 major IgE-binding components (26-30 and 20-24 kDa) in mugwort pollens. No cross-reactivity was found between ragweed and mugwort pollens.

Keyword

Ambrosia; Artemisia; Allergens; Cross reactions

MeSH Terms

Allergens
Ambrosia*
Artemisia*
Cross Reactions
Electrophoresis
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Humans
Immunoglobulin E*
Korea
Pollen*
Rhinitis
Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal
Seasons
Sodium
Allergens
Immunoglobulin E
Sodium

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis findings of ragweed and mugwort pollen extracts. M, marker; W1, ragweed; W6, mugwort.

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  Fig. 2 IgE immunoblot analysis of ragweed (A) and mugwort (B) pollen extracts using serum samples from allergic rhinitis patents. M, marker; B, blank.

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  Fig. 3 Frequency of IgE binding components to ragweed (A) and mugwort (B) pollen extracts by immunoblot analysis. *Indicates the IgE binding components found in more than 50% of the patients.

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  Fig. 4 IgE enzyme linked immunosorbent assay inhibition results for ragweed (A) and mugwort (B) pollen extracts coated wells with serial additions of ragweed pollen extracts or mugwort pollen extracts from the patients having high specific IgE to ragweed and mugwort pollens.

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  Fig. 5 IgE immunoblot inhibition results of ragweed (A) and mugwort (B) pollen extracts. Ragweed (A) and mugwort (B) pollen extracts were transferred to poly-vinyl difluoride membrane membrane followed by incubation with each serum sample from the patients having high serum specific IgE to ragweed and mugwort. Serum samples were pretreated with 200 µg/mL of ragweed (A, lane 1-5b; B, lane 1-5c) or mugwort (A, lane 1-5c; B, lane 1-5b) pollen extracts for overnight. M, marker; N, normal control; B, blank.

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