Immunochemical comparison of the allergenic potency of spores and mycelium of Cladosporium cladosporioides extracts by a nitrocellulose electroblotting technique.

BACKGROUND The lack of well standardized or characterized extracts that contain the relevant allergens of the appropriate fungus is resulting in a high heterogeneity of the commercial preparation. MATERIAL AND METHODS Immunochemical detection of the allergens composition of spore and mycelium of C. cladosporioides was studied by electroblotting using sera from Cladosporium allergic patients and 125 I- anti- human IgE. A MW range of allergens between 16 to 88 KDa was identified. The most important with a MW of 16, 20,30, 39, 43, 50, 60 and 88 KDa. RESULTS The allergenic composition of spore and mycelium looked very similar. However, partial or total inhibition of the serum with a conidial or mycelial extract demonstrated that the total concentration of allergens (particulary 20 and 60 KDa molecules) was higher in the conidium than in the mycelium. CONCLUSIONS These results indicated that conidium and mycelium contained the same allergenic determinants but at different concentration in the two propagule. Results with 50 % inhibited sera demonstrated also that the total concentration of allergens was higher in the conidium than in the mycelium.