Journal Article

Albumins represent highly cross-reactive animal allergens

Chen, Ting-Huan, Trifonova, Daria, Karsonova, Antonina, Kozlov, Evgeny, Elisyutina, Olga, Khaitov, Musa, Karaulov, Alexander, Tulaeva, Inna, Focke-Tejkl, Margarete, Liu, Zicheng, Riabova, Ksenja, Valenta, Rudolf

2023

Overview

Albumins from animals are highly cross-reactive allergens for patients suffering from immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergy. Approximately 20-30% of cat and dog allergic patients show IgE reactivity and mount IgE-mediated allergic reactions to cat and dog albumin. It is astonishing that allergic patients can develop specific IgE responses against animal albumins because these proteins exhibit a more than 70% sequence identity to human serum albumin (HSA) which is the most abundant protein in the blood of the human body. The sequence identity of cat albumin (Fel d 2) and dog albumin (Can f 3) and HSA are 82% and 80%, respectively. Given the high degree of sequence identity between the latter two allergens and HSA one would expect that immunological tolerance would prohibit IgE sensitization to Fel d 2 and Can f 3. Here we discuss two possibilities for how IgE sensitization to Fel d 2 and Can f 3 may develop. One possibility is the failed development of immune tolerance in albumin-allergic patients whereas the other possibility is highly selective immune tolerance to HSA but not to Fel d 2 and Can f 3. If the first assumption is correct it should be possible to detect HSA-specific T cell responses and HSA-containing immune complexes in sensitized patients. In the latter scenario few differences in the sequences of Fel d 2 and Can f 3 as compared to HSA would be responsible for the development of selective T cell and B cell responses towards Fel d 2 as well as Can f 3. However, the immunological mechanisms of albumin sensitization have not yet been investigated in detail although this will be important for the development of allergen-specific prevention and allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) strategies for allergy to albumin.

• Publisher: Frontiers Media SA,Frontiers Media S.A
• Subject: albumin / Albumins / allergen / Allergens / Allergies / allergy / Amino acids / Animals / Antigen-antibody complexes / Cats / Chemical bonds / Circulatory system / Cohort analysis / cross-reactivity / Dogs / Drugs / E coli / epitope / Fatty acids / Human serum albumin / Humans / Hypersensitivity / Immunoglobulin E / Immunological tolerance / Immunology / Immunotherapy / Ligands / Liver / Lymphocytes T / Phylogenetics / Physiology / Proteins / Serum Albumin, Human / tolerance