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Biomedical subjects

M J Voss

Publications and source records attributed to M J Voss.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

Monkey dander asthma.

We recently cared for two patients who experienced acute asthma with exposure to dander of the cotton top tamarin, a species of New World monkey. Both patients had serologic evidence for an IgE antibody to monkey dander as determined by RAST and a positive immediate skin test response to an extract prepared from monkey dander. Furthermore, by RAST we were able to determine that cotton top tamarin urine and newborn cotton top tamarin dander had antigens that reacted with IgE in the serum of the affected patients. Thus we report two patients with asthma to monkey dander that appears to be mediated by an IgE mechanism. We also found that serum from a subject exposed to another species of New World monkey, the capuchin, yielded a positive RAST to the cotton top tamarin, suggesting that allergenic cross-reactivity may exist between the two species.

Acute Disease↗

Detection of Alternaria allergens by crossed radioimmunoelectrophoresis.

Allergens involved in sensitivity to Alternaria have not been well defined. We used crossed radioimmunoelectrophoresis (CRIE) to study antigens in a crude A. alternata extract, which were capable of binding IgE in human serum. Sera from 35 patients sensitive to Alternaria, 10 not sensitive to Alternaria, and five normal controls were examined. CRIE with hyperimmune rabbit sera demonstrated 22 antigens in the Alternaria extract. After exposure of CRIE gels sequentially with patient serum and 125I-labeled anti-human IgE, autoradiography demonstrated that three of the antigens bound IgE in sera of Alternaria-sensitive subjects. Our results suggest that multiple allergens are involved in A. alternata sensitivity.

Allergens↗

Immunological studies on Alternaria sensitivity. Use of crossed radioimmunoelectrophoresis, precipitins and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Characterization of the immunological response to Alternaria in sensitive subjects is not complete. We used crossed radioimmunoelectrophoresis (CRIE) to identify antigens in Alternaria extracts reacting with IgE antibody in five patients with Alternaria-sensitive asthma, four with Alternaria-induced rhinitis, three non-allergic asthmatics, and three normal controls. All five Alternaria-asthma patients and three of four Alternaria-rhinitis patients showed IgE binding to a third antigen. These results suggest an analogy of Alternaria antigens with that found in ragweed pollen extracts, i.e. that IgE antibody is directed against more than one antigen. Using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we found a significant difference (P less than 0.05, unpaired Student's t-test) in IgG binding between Alternaria-sensitive asthmatics and normal controls. There was no apparent difference in IgG binding between untreated Alternaria-sensitive asthmatics and those receiving high-dose immunotherapy.

Alternaria↗