Abstract
Pollen extracts of six different Artemisia species, A. vulgaris, A. scoparia, A. princeps, A. tridentata, A. annua, and A. campestris were compared using SDS-PAGE, IEF, immunoblotting, and immunoelectrophoretic methods.
The band patterns obtained after SDS-PAGE and IEF showed a large degree of similarity
between the extracts. Immunoblotting of these gels using a pool of sera from patients
allergic to A. vulgaris gave essentially the same IgE-binding band pattern with all the extracts, demonstrating
an extensive degree of cross-reactivity between A. vulgaris and the other Artemisia species. FRIE using a polyspecific antiserum against A. vulgaris showed that all the extracts contained several antigens that were immunologically
identical to antigens in A. vulgaris extract. Antigens showing immunological identity to the important A. vulgaris allergens Ag 12 and Art v II were present in all the extracts. The cross-reactivity between A. vulgaris and A. princeps was further verified by screening of ten Korean and nine Norwegian individual patient
sera against extracts of both species in SDS-PAGE or IEF immunoblotting. Both groups
of patients had essentially the same pattern of reactivity towards both pollen extracts.
Key words
Artemisia spp. - pollen - allergens - cross-reactivity.
