Comparative genomics have facilitated the mining of biological information from a genome sequence, through the detection of similarities and differences with genomes of closely or more distantly related species. By using such comparative approaches, knowledge can be transferred from the model to non-model organisms and insights can be gained in the structural and evolutionary patterns of specif...

BACKGROUND Allergen extracts may be different due to the difference in dissemination of allergen-containing species in various geographical areas. Therefore, we wish to develop our own extracts to ensure the precision and quality of diagnosis. OBJECTIVES To compare the efficacy and safety of our locally prepared pollen allergen extracts to imported ones, using skin prick testing (SPT) and ser...

BACKGROUND Subcutaneous immunotherapy with high dose grass pollen (typically microgram quantities) was first described over 100 years ago. This treatment suppresses allergen-induced cutaneous late responses, with lesser effects on early responses. We previously reported that repeated 2-weekly intradermal injections of grass pollen - containing approximately 7 ng of major allergen Phl p 5 - led ...

OBJECTIVE Allergic disease caused by airborne pollen is a major health problem in China. Intensive study on pollen allergens can be of great help for preventing and treating pollinosis. Four aspects of the study on pollen allergens in China including major allergic pollen in our country, analysis and purification of pollen allergen composition, recombinant pollen allergens and clinical applicat...

Pollen allergies have long been a major pandemic health problem for human. However, the evolutionary events and biological function of pollen allergens in plants remain largely unknown. Here, we report the genome-wide prediction of pollen allergens and their biological function in the dicotyledonous model plant Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and the monocotyledonous model plant rice (Oryza ...

BACKGROUND Conflicting results have been reported in studies of predictive factors for airway responsiveness to allergens during bronchial challenges. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to assess determinants of airway responsiveness to 3 different allergens during standardized bronchial challenges. METHODS Data were collected from asthmatic patients who participated in allergen challenge ...

INTRODUCTION Exposure to airborne pollen from certain plants can cause allergic disease, but allergens can also be found in non-pollen-bearing fractions of ambient air. This may explain why the allergic response in susceptible patients does not always coincide with the presence and magnitude of airborne pollen counts. Plantago pollen is an important cause of pollinosis in northern Mediterranean...

It is estimated that pollen allergies affect approximately 40% of allergic individuals. In general, tree pollen allergies are mainly elicited by allergenic trees belonging to the orders Fagales, Lamiales, Proteales, and Pinales. Over 25 years ago, the gene encoding the major birch pollen allergen Bet v 1 was the first such gene to be cloned and its product characterized. Since that time, 53 tre...

The pollen calendar of Agra was recorded with special reference to allergenic significance. Pollen grains of 35 species belonging to 23 angiosperm families have been identified out of a total catch of 24,220/m3 of air annually. High occurrence of pollen grains in air belonged to Asteraceae (5222/m3) and Parthenium hysterophorus contributed the maximum (17.91%) of the total airspora. Higher coun...

Methods Monoclonal human IgE antibodies specific for the major birch pollen allergen Bet v 1 and for the major grass pollen allergen Phl p 5 and the corresponding allergens as well as a hybrid protein consisting of the Bet v 1 and Phl p 5 allergens were expressed. Using circular dichroism spectroscopy we compared the fold of the hybrid protein with that of the mixture of the two allergens. Rat ...