Studies on allergens of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus by direct and indirect RAST

Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (DP) extract was fractionated by Sephadex G-75 and liquid isoelectric focusing (IEF) and the allergenic activity of different fractions was monitored by direct and indirect RAST. The fractionation on Sephadex G-75 showed that the allergenic activity of DP extract was related to wide molecular weight spectrum components, even though the maximum amount was recovered in effluent that contained protein with a molecular weight ranging between 25,000 and 12,500 daltons. By fractionation of the mite extract on IEF, three main peaks of allergenic activity (pI less than 3.0; pI = 4.3 +/- 0.25; pI = 6.4 +/- 0.25) were found. Cross-inhibition experiments showed a high degree of cross-reactivity between allergenic material eluted in very distant regions of molecular weight or isoelectric point. The allergenic activity of unfractionated mite extract and of its IEF fractions was destroyed by pronase - but not by neuraminidase - treatment. These results suggest that DP extract probably contains one main allergen existing in multiple molecular forms rather than several distinct allergens and that a protein moiety of the allergen is necessary for the combination with IgE.