Overview of the most commonly used methods in allergen characterization

Abstract

The characterization of an allergen is a troublesome and difficult process, as it requires both the precise biochemical characterization of a (glyco)protein molecule and the establishment of its susceptibility to IgE antibodies, as they are the main link to histamine release in some hypersensitivity states (type I allergies). As the characterization of an allergen includes molecular weight determination of the allergenic molecule, its structure determination, physicochemical properties, IgE binding properties of the allergen molecule, and its allergenicity, an overal review of which biochemical and immunochemical methods are used in achieving this goal are presented in this paper. The information on the molecular level on the stuctures of allergens indicates that allergens are considerably heterogeneous protein structures, and that there is no particular aminoacid sequence which is responsible for the allergenicity. Therefore, information gained from detailed structural, functional and immunochemical studies of these intriguing molecules, which nowadays modulate a variety of pathophysiological conditions, would greatly improve our understanding of the underlying disease mechanisms, and the way to handle them.

Okarakterisati alergen je težak i mukotrpan zadatak, jer zahteva preciznu biohemijsku karakterizaciju (gliko)proteinskog molekula, kao i ustanovljavanje njegove sposobnosti da vezuje IgE, jer je to glavna spona ka oslobađanju histamina u nekim stanjima preosetljivosti (alergije tipa I). Karakterizacija alergena podrazumeva određivanje molekulske mase, određivanje strukture, fizikohemijskih svojstava, IgE vezujućih osobina i njegovu alergenost. Ovaj rad daje pregled koje se biohemijske i imunohemijske metode najčešće koriste radi postizanja tog cilja. Informacije koje su do sada dobijene o strukturi alergena pokazuju da su ovi molekuli izuzetno heterogene strukture i da ne postoji određena aminokiselinska sekvencija koja bi mogla da predvidi alergenost datog molekula. Međutim, informacije dobijene iz detaljnih strukturnih studija ovih molekula će doprineti našem razumevanju patofizioloških procesa koji su u osnovi alergijskih oboljenja i unaprediće način na koji ih tretiramo.