Sialylated Fetuin-A as a candidate predictive biomarker for successful grass pollen allergen immunotherapy.

Background: Eligibility to immunotherapy is based on the determination of IgE reactivity to a specific allergen by means of skin prick or in vitro testing. Biomarkers predicting the likelihood of clinical improvement during immunotherapy would significantly improve patient selection.

Methods: Proteins were differentially assessed by using 2-dimensional differential gel electrophoresis and label-free mass spectrometry in pretreatment sera obtained from clinical responders and nonresponders within a cohort of 82 patients with grass pollen allergy receiving sublingual immunotherapy or placebo.

Patterns of IgE sensitization in house dust mite-allergic patients: implications for allergen immunotherapy.

Background: Understanding patterns of IgE sensitization in Dermatophagoides-allergic patients living in various geographical areas is necessary to design a product suitable for worldwide allergen immunotherapy (AIT).

Methods: Using a HIFI Allergy customized microarray assay, IgEs specific for 12 purified allergens from Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus or D. farinae were assessed in sera from 1302 house dust mite (HDM)-allergic patients living in various areas.

New insights into ragweed pollen allergens.

Pollen allergens from short ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) cause severe respiratory allergies in North America and Europe. To date, ten short ragweed pollen allergens belonging to eight protein families, including the recently discovered novel major allergen Amb a 11, have been recorded in the International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS) allergen database. With evidence that other components may further contribute to short ragweed pollen allergenicity, a better understanding of the allergen repertoire is a requisite for the design of proper diagnostic tools and efficient immunotherapies.

Identification of the cysteine protease Amb a 11 as a novel major allergen from short ragweed.

Background: Allergy to pollen from short ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) is a serious and expanding health problem in the United States and in Europe.

Objective: We sought to investigate the presence of undescribed allergens in ragweed pollen.

Methods: Ragweed pollen proteins were submitted to high-resolution gel electrophoresis and tested for IgE reactivity by using sera from 92 American or European donors with ragweed allergy.

Heterogeneity of antibody responses among clinical responders during grass pollen sublingual immunotherapy.

Background: During allergen-specific sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT), the relevance of changes in specific IgE and IgG antibody titres to treatment efficacy remains to be evaluated at an individual patient level.

Objective: To investigate whether antibody responses can be used as biomarkers for SLIT efficacy.

Methods: Comprehensive quantitative, qualitative and functional analyses of allergen-specific IgA, IgE, IgG1-4 and IgM responses were performed using purified Phl p 1 to 12 allergens in sera, saliva and nasal secretions from 82 grass pollen allergic patients.