Abstract
Background: Several proteins have been identified as peanut allergens; among them, Ara h 1 (7S globulin) and Ara h 2 (2S globulin) are usually considered the major allergens. Objective: To identify the major allergens in a group of children selected for their specific pattern of immunoreactivity. Methods: We identified the dominant allergen by using (1) amino acid sequencing of the bands that show the strongest IgE immunoreactivity in 1-dimensional electrophoresis and immunoblotting and (2) specific animal IgGs raised against the dominant immunoreactive band to pinpoint the allergen(s) in peanut proteins separated by 2-dimensional electrophoresis and immunoblotting. To confirm these data, we further examined the peanut proteome using serum samples from the children with the unusual immunoreactivity. Results: We found a group of children with marked peanut allergy who are specifically sensitized to the basic subunit of Ara h 3 (11S globulin family). Conclusion: That the dominant immunoreactivity in these patients is in a basic subunit of Ara h 3 was unexpected, because previous studies had indicated that Ara h 3 was only a minor peanut allergen and that the identified allergenic epitopes occurred mainly in the acidic Ara h 3 subunit.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 262-266 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology |
Volume | 94 |
Issue number | 2 |
Publication status | Published - Feb 2005 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Immunology and Allergy