Comparative analysis of seven standardised commercially available grass extracts for sublingual immunotherapy in...

Sublingual immunotherapy with allergens requires high allergen doses to achieve the desired clinical efficacy. Given the current differences among products on the market, this study aims to compare seven therapeutic sublingual grass pollen extracts to quantify the Group 5 allergen concentrations, assess their biological activity and characterise allergenic profiles. The extracts were analysed by protein quantification (Bradford method), characterisation of the protein profile (SDS-PAGE) and determination of biological activity (ELISA inhibition and immunoblotting). Major allergens (Group 5) were also quantified using a sandwich ELISA. Differences were observed between the various allergenic extracts. Protein content ranged from 27 to 231 µg/mL, with Apioral Forte, SlitOne Ultra and Sublivac showing similar protein profiles. These extracts also displayed the highest biological activity, while the quantification of major Group 5 allergens was greatest in Apioral Forte, Sublivac and Tol Forte. The differences observed between extracts may have a relevant clinical impact. It is essential to have standardised, comparative analytical methods that allow specialists to select the most appropriate treatment.