Mugwort nArt v 3 LTP IgE, w233
A new direction has appeared in the diagnosis of allergic reactions: Molecular diagnostics of allergy is a component allergodiagnostic.
Molecular allergy diagnosis is based on the detection of sensitization to allergens at the molecular level using natural highly purified and recombinant allergen molecules, i.e. their components rather than extracts. In the late 1980s, when the introduction of DNA technology began, it was possible to characterize and clone allergen molecules, which helped to identify antigenic determinants in various allergic diseases. All this played an important role in the emergence of a new type of diagnosis – molecular diagnostics, which, in turn, contributed to the development of more effective allergy treatment. The determination of antibodies to recombinant allergens makes it possible to identify the leading component in the composition of complex allergens at the level of molecular allergology. This allows you to differentiate between true and cross-allergy. The use of recombinant allergens is a new tool in the diagnosis of type I allergic reactions, which allows you to obtain detailed information about the sensitization of the patient, cross-reactivity with other allergens, to justify the feasibility and predict the effectiveness of allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT).
This direction will change the views on the examination and treatment of patients and bring them in line with those in world medicine.
There are 3 main advantages of doing this analysis:
Molecular allergodiagnostics makes it possible to differentiate true sensitization from sensitization due to cross-reactivity. These data will help identify the sources of allergies: a single one, several closely related ones, or many different ones.
Molecular allergodiagnostics eliminates the need for provocative tests and allows for clearer recommendations regarding the elimination of contact with allergens.
Molecular allergodiagnostics is necessary in the selection of allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT), in individuals with polyvalent sensitization, the most accurate way to determine the most important allergen for which ASIT will be performed. It is shown that the use of molecular diagnostic methods makes it necessary to change the ASIT, selected according to the results of skin prick tests.
In order to begin utilizing allergen components and correctly interpreting analysis results, it is necessary to know basic information about allergen components and their clinical use:
Allergen molecules are given a name, at the beginning the first three letters of the Latin genus name, then the first letter of the species and an Arabic numeral, the allergen number (the number depends on the order of isolation and/or clinical importance). For example: Birch – Bet v 1, Bet v 2, etc.
The allergenic substance contains not one but several protein components that can act as allergens: "major" - main allergens, others "minor" - secondary allergens.
Major allergen components are such allergenic molecules, antibodies to which are found in more than half – 50% of patients in the population responding to this source. They are resistant to heat and more immunogenic. They are large in size and are contained in this allergen in larger quantities.
Minor ones are smaller in size and less immunogenic allergenic molecules that are usually contained in smaller amounts in the allergen, but are present in many different allergens, sometimes not closely related, providing cross-allergy. That is, allergens with a prevalence of more than 50% are called major allergens and less than 10% are called minor allergens.
The names of recombinant allergens come from the Latin name and the serial number of the allergen.
The culprits of allergies include herbs and trees. One of the representatives of herbs is wormwood.
Common wormwood (lat.The name Artemisia) is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family, distributed throughout the territory of Kazakhstan. Wormwood pollen is a fairly common allergen. The occurrence of allergic reactions is associated with the flowering period of this plant, which falls on July-September. When allergic to wormwood, there are often cross-reactions to sunflower seeds, sunflower oil and products that contain it (halva, mayonnaise, mustard), chicory, melon, watermelon, herbs and spices (celery, dill, cumin, parsley, curry, pepper, anise, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and coriander), for drinks prepared using wormwood (vermouths, balms, absinthe). Reactions to carrots, garlic, citrus fruits, bananas, zucchini, eggplant, lettuce, jerusalem artichoke, and honey are possible.
To determine the sensitization to wormwood as a complex allergen, the main major allergens are investigated: nArt v 1 IgE and nArtv 3 LTPIgE
nArt v 1 IgE and nArtv 3 LTPIgE proteins, the main (major) allergens of wormwood, specific IgE antibodies to which are detected in 95% of patients with allergy to wormwood pollen.