Basidiomycete allergy: measurement of spore-specific IgE antibodies

RAST with 12 basidiospore extracts demonstrated that a significant percent of 42 individuals with symptoms of perennial rhinitis and/or asthma and skin reactivity to at least one spore extract had spore-specific IgE antibodies. These antibodies were not demonstrable in 14 atopic, symptomatic, skin test negative control subjects nor in five nonatopic, asymptomatic control subjects. There was a statistically significant association between RAST and skin test results for all but three of the spore extracts. A statistically significant association was also observed between RAST results obtained with most of the different spore extracts. A similar association was present for skin test results with different spore extracts. These results provide evidence that basidiospore extracts are suitable allergens for use in diagnostic studies of respiratory disease associated with exposure to basidiomycetes.