Allergy Asthma Immunol Res.  2015 Jan;7(1):37-43. 10.4168/aair.2015.7.1.37.

Significance of 40-, 45-, and 48-kDa Proteins in the Moderate-to-Severe Clinical Symptoms of Buckwheat Allergy

• Cho J
• Lee JO
• Choi J
• Park MR
• Shon DH
• Kim J
• Ahn K
• Han Y

• KMID: 2260150
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4168/aair.2015.7.1.37

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study was aimed to investigate the relationship between the allergen components and moderate-to-severe allergic reactions in patients with buckwheat allergy.
METHODS
Fifteen patients with a history of buckwheat ingestion and a buckwheat specific IgE level> or =0.35 kU/L were enrolled. They were divided into 2 groups according to clinical severity scores, with 0-1 being asymptomatic-to-mild and 2-4 being moderate-to-severe symptoms. Immunoblotting was performed to investigate IgE reactivity toward buckwheat allergens and to measure intensity of each component by using a reflective densitometer.
RESULTS
The proportions of positive band to the 16 kDa (62.5% vs 0%, P=0.026) and 40-50 kDa (87.5% vs 28.6%, P=0.041) buckwheat allergens in the grade 2-4 group were higher than those in grade 0-1 group. The level of buckwheat specific IgE of grade 2-4 group was higher than that of grade 0-1 group (41.3 kU/L vs 5.5 kU/L, P=0.037). The median optical densities (ODs) of IgE antibody binding to 40-50 kDa protein were higher in the grade 2-4 group, compared with those in the grade 0-1 group (130% OD vs 60.8% OD, P=0.037).
CONCLUSIONS
The 40-50 kDa protein is implicated as an important allergen to predict moderate-to-severe clinical symptoms in Korean children with buckwheat allergy.

Keyword

Food allergy; buckwheat; allergen; severity; component; immunoblotting

MeSH Terms

Allergens
Child
Eating
Fagopyrum*
Food Hypersensitivity
Humans
Hypersensitivity*
Immunoblotting
Immunoglobulin E
Allergens
Immunoglobulin E

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Immunoblotting of buckwheat protein with patients` serum samples. Lanes are: M, molecular weight; S, Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; B, blank; N, normal serum; 1-7, patients with allergic reactions of grade 0 to 1; 8-15, patients with allergic reactions of grade 2 to 4.

• 

  Fig. 2 Comparison of IgE level and component binding activity between grade 0-1 group and grade 2-4 group. (A) Level of total IgE (kU/L); (B) Level of buckwheat specific IgE (kU/L); (C) IgE binding activities of subjects' serum against 16 kDa protein component measured by optical density (OD)/mm2 of protein band; (D) OD/mm2 of 24 kDa protein band; (E) OD/mm2 of 30 kDa protein band; (F) OD/mm2 of 40-50 kDa protein band; (G) OD/mm2 of 75 kDa protein band and (H) OD/mm2 of 100 kDa protein band from buckwheat, respectively. *P<0.05.

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