The direct peptide reactivity assay: selectivity of chemical respiratory allergens

It is well known that some chemicals are capable of causing allergic diseases of the skin and respiratory tract. Commonly, though not exclusively, chemical allergens are associated with the selective development of skin or respiratory sensitization. The reason for this divergence is unclear, although it is hypothesized that the nature of interactions between the chemical hapten and proteins is influential. The direct peptide reactivity assay (DPRA) has been developed as a screen for the identification of skin-sensitizing chemicals, and here we describe the use of this method to explore whether differences exist between skin and respiratory allergens with respect to their peptide-binding properties. Known skin and respiratory sensitizers were reacted with synthetic peptides containing either lysine (Lys) or cysteine (Cys) for 24 h. The samples were analyzed by HPLC/UV, and the loss of peptide from the reaction mixture was expressed as the percent depletion compared with the control. The potential for preferential reactivity was evaluated by comparing the ratio of Lys to Cys depletion (Lys:Cys ratio). The results demonstrate that the majority of respiratory allergens are reactive in the DPRA, and that in contrast to most skin-sensitizing chemicals, preferentially react with the Lys peptide. These data suggest that skin and respiratory chemical allergens can result in different protein conjugates, which may in turn influence the quality of induced immune responses. Overall, these investigations reveal that the DPRA has considerable potential to be incorporated into tiered testing approaches for the identification and characterization of chemical respiratory allergens.