Investigation of acid phosphatase as a possible IgE-binding marker for pollen allergens and their polymerized...

The enzyme acid phosphatase represents an important component among the allergenic proteins in most pollen extracts. However, determination of the level of this enzyme in extracts of various pollen species, as well as protein separation by molecular sieving shows that acid phosphatase cannot be used as a marker for IgE-binding protein allergens. A conspicuous discrepancy was observed between the heat- and acid-sensitivities of the phosphatase enzyme relative to the overall IgE-binding properties of the pollen extracts. Remarkably, the enzyme remained unaffected by cross-linking the pollen proteins with glutardialdehyde, whereas this process of polymerization caused the IgE-binding potency to diminish considerably. It is concluded that the enzyme acid phosphatase is not a suitable marker for the potency assessment of pollen allergens, but may be useful for monitoring the production process of polymerized allergoids.