Detection of IgE Antibodies to a Wide Range of Insect Species in Subjects with Suspected Inhalant Allergies to Insects

Abstract

Sera obtained from subjects diagnosed on the basis of case history and skin tests as having inhalant allergies to insects, were tested for the presence of IgE antibodies to antigens from the house fly Musca domestica, a blowfly Calliphora stygia, the common clothes moth Tineola bisselliella, warehouse moth Ephestia cautella, cockroach Blattella germanica, carpet beetle Anthrenus verbasci and silverfish Ctenolepisma longicaudata. Approximately one-third of the sera reacted with extracts from all seven species, over half the sera reacted with four of the extracts and only 3 sera proved negative to all of the extracts. Twenty-six of the sera also contained IgE antibodies that reacted with the house dust mite Dermatophagoides farinae. Tests with a further eleven species of flies from the order Diptera and with extracts of the grain borer Rhyzopertha dominica, locust Chortoicetes terminifera and Bogong moth Agrotis infusa revealed strong IgE antibody responses to all of the species. Electroblotting studies revealed up to 15 IgE-binding components in extracts from 11 different insect species including 6 species of flies. Some IgE-binding insect components with similar electrophoretic mobilities indicated the possible presence of common allergens in extracts from different species. In particular, blots of each of the fly extracts showed a dense IgE-binding component of MW approximately 37,000 daltons. ‘Pan allergy’ to insects may occur in subjects who have been sensitized to one or a few insects and allergenic similarities may extend to at least some other noninsect members of the phylum Arthropoda.

Molecular and Immunological Characterization of Arginine Kinase from the Indianmeal Moth,Plodia interpunctella, a Novel Cross-Reactive Invertebrate Pan-Allergen

“…No homologous cross-reactive component was observed in the cod, a vertebrate species. These data suggest that arginine kinases represent a novel class of invertebrate cross-reactive pan-allergens which may be implicated in the induction and maintenance of respiratory and food allergy in polysensitized patients (10,36). …”

Identification of a Cross-Reactive Allergen (Presumably Tropomyosin) in Shrimp, Mite and Insects

“…Furthermore, by immunofluorescence microscopy on shrimp, muscle staining was observed. The finding, in several studies, that many mite-positive sera reacted with insects [1] or Crustacea [6], suggested that the sera contained cross-reacting antibodies. In this study we identified tropomyosin as a cross-reactive allergen.…”

“…This observation in dicated the presence o f a cross-reactive antigen in mite, shrimp and insects. In the literature it has been suggested that there are cross-reacting IgE antibodies against mite, in sects and Crustacea [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Invertebrates are known to be strong sensitizers for IgE-mediated immune responses.…”

“…cockroaches [7][8][9], moth [10], non-bit ing midges [5] and caddis fly [11], Several patient studies have shown that high reactivity against insects is frequently accompanied by high reactivity against mites [1,2], Crustacea are a common cause of ingestant allergic dis ease [12]. The characterization of shrimp allergens is dis cussed in a number of studies [13][14][15], Very recently, Pen a I or Sa-II, a major shrimp allergen, has been identified as tro pomyosin [16,17], There have been some reports in the literature about asth ma attacks after eating snails, Crustacea or other nonfish seafoods in patients with allergy to mites and/or insects [1,4], Cross-reactivity between Arthropoda and Crustacea has been observed; for instance, Eriksson et al [5] showed cross-reactivity between chironomids and shrimp in 1988. Cross-reactivity between snails and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus was described by Ardito et al [6] in 1990.…”

Immunization of Rabbits with Mosquito Bites: Immunoblot Analysis of IgG Antimosquito Antibodies in Rabbit and Man

“…These antibodies could be cross-reacting antibodies originating from immune response against various insect antigens derived via inhalant or alimentary routes. Supporting this as sumption, Baldo and Panzani [23] have recently shown IgE cross-reactivity between different airborne insect allergens in humans.…”