Der p 11 Is a Major Allergen for House Dust Mite-Allergic Patients Suffering from Atopic Dermatitis

Abstract

House dust mites (HDMs) belong to the most potent indoor allergen sources worldwide and are associated with allergic manifestations in the respiratory tract and the skin. Here we studied the importance of the high-molecular-weight group 11 allergen from Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p 11) in HDM allergy. Sequence analysis showed that Der p 11 has high homology to paramyosins from mites, ticks, and other invertebrates. A synthetic gene coding for Der p 11 was expressed in Escherichia coli and rDer p 11 purified to homogeneity as folded, alpha-helical protein as determined by circular dichroism spectroscopy. Using antibodies raised against rDer p 11 and immunogold electron microscopy, the allergen was localized in the muscle beneath the skin of mite bodies but not in feces. IgE reactivity of rDer p 11 was tested with sera from HDM-allergic patients from Europe and Africa in radioallergosorbent test-based dot-blot assays. Interestingly, we found that Der p 11 is a major allergen for patients suffering from atopic dermatitis (AD), whereas it is only a minor allergen for patients suffering from respiratory forms of HDM allergy. Thus, rDer p 11 might be a useful serological marker allergen for the identification of a subgroup of HDM-allergic patients suffering from HDM-associated AD.

Hierarchy and molecular properties of house dust mite allergens

“…60 Recently Banajee et al noted degradation and aggregation in natural and recombinant Der p 11 preparations but with CD spectra showing the expected secondary structure. 61 Sera of subjects with respiratory HDM allergy examined with this preparation only showed 6% IgE binding prevalence but it was 60% for atopic dermatitis patients.…”

“…68 A recent European study found that Der p 14 rarely bound IgE in the sera of asthmatics but bound IgE in 67% of atopic dermatitis patients although at low titre. 61 Vitellogenin-like allergens have now been reported in bee venom 69 and they the major allergens for people allergic to fish roe. 70…”

Indoor Allergens and Allergic Respiratory Disease

“…A mixture of purified mite allergens from groups 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, and 10 bound, on average, 76 % of mite-specific IgE antibodies [18]. Group 11 allergens are paramyosins, and Der p 11 is a new marker allergen for house dust mite-allergic patients suffering from atopic dermatitis [19••]. …”

The Skin as a Route of Allergen Exposure: Part I. Immune Components and Mechanisms

“…While clearly the mechanism of contact hypersensitivity to haptens is distinct from IgE-mediated responses to other allergens, murine models of contact allergy have hinted at the Th2-promoting properties of skin barrier disruption for over a decade [1]. In contrast to low molecular weight contact allergens (<500 Da) [2]; water-soluble cat, dust mite, or peanut allergens (particle sizes range from 5000 to 100,000 Da) [3, 4] are theoretically too large to bypass the cutaneous permeability barrier [5]. To explain this size discrepancy, it is now evident that skin barrier defects are the driver of allergen exposure through skin.…”