IgE antibodies to wheat flour components Studies with sera from subjects with bakers' asthma or coeliac condition

Abstract

Sera from two subjects with bakers* asthma and six patients with coeliac condition were examined for the presence of IgE antibodies with specificities for wheat flour components. Sera were studied using the radioallergosorbent test (RAST) together with whole flour and thirteen purified and partially purified fiour fractions.IgE antibodies to a number of flour components were demonstrated in the allergic bakers' sera, but the strongest reactivities were observed with wheat albumins and globulins. A more detailed examination of the flour water-soluble proteins using RAST inhibition methods demonstrated that albumins were more reactive with the allergic sera than the globulins. Apart from the results with the water-soluble proteins, the two sera showed a different pattern of reactivity with the other flour preparations.No IgE antibodies to whole flour or any of the flour components, including A gliadin, were found in the coeliac sera. Failure to detect wheat gluten-or gliadinspecific IgE antibodies indicates that IgE-mediated reactions are not important in the pathogenesis of coeliac condition. Levels of total IgE in the sera from the coeliac subjects were elevated and, with two of the sera, some success was achieved in identifying the allergens responsible for the elevation. We propose that elevation of serum IgE may frequently occur in coeliac condition and may arise due to an increased uptake of antigens via the damaged intestinal mucosa.

Proteome analysis of maize pollen for allergy-relevant components

“…Since no IgEreactive epitope could be identified for Phl p 3 and Phl p 2 by peptide mapping, we assume the presence of conformational epitopes in those allergens [35]. Interestingly, we did not identify allergens belonging to the lipid transfer proteins and albumins/globulins, which were determined as major allergens in maize flour [37,38]. Probably, these allergens are not expressed in pollen or they might not have been detected by patients' sera from the northern part of Germany.…”

Identification of the three major coeliac immunoreactive proteins and one α‐amylase inhibitor from oat endosperm

“…Cereal proteins are of increasing clinical interest because they are involved in allergic processes [1][2][3] and intestinal disorders, particularly in ¢oeliac disease [4,5]. Besides, cereal seeds contain protein inhibitors of 0~-amylases and proteases [6] which play a protective role against endogenous and exogenous hydrolytic activities.…”

A barley flour inhibitor of insect α‐amylase is a major allergen associated with baker's asthma disease

“…Although this has been known for many years, little progress has been made in the identification of major flour allergens [3]. The most prominent components involved in flour allergy are salt-soluble proteins [4,5], and a number of allergens included in this protein class have been detected in wheat, however, their purification has not been reported [3,5]. A substantial fraction of the salt-soluble proteins of wheat and barley endosperms is represented by a single protein family of a-amylase/trypsin inhibitors [a], in which a clear homology has been reported between the corresponding components from both species [6,7].…”