Theses studies are designed to improve understanding of the relationship between bronchial asthma and exposure to indoor allergens. There are at least 8 million asthmatic patients in the United States and approx. 2 million emergency room (ER) visits for the management of acute asthma/year. Studying ER asthma patients there is a highly significant increased incidence of serum IgE antibodies to allergens derived from dusts mites (Dermatophagoides farinae and D. pteronyssinus), cat dander and cockroaches compared to controls. Purified allergens and monoclonal antibodies have been established for dust mite and cat allergens. The present studies will extend the previous studies and in addition will purify cockroach allergens and develop monoclonal antibodies to them. The next objective will be to develop radioimmunoassays for the major allergens of mites (Der f I, Der p I, Der f II, and Der p II), cats (Fel d I), and cockroaches, using monoclonal antibodies. These two site radioimmunometric assays which already been developed for mite allergens, are sensitive, highly specific, rapid and inexpensive. In addition they can easily be standardized relative to National of International Standards and can give results in absolute units (i.e. ug). The assays will be used to study quantities of these allergens both in dust samples and airborne in patients' houses. They will also be used to monitor the effect of allergen avoidance measures on the quantities of allergens to which patients are exposed. A further objective will be to define the relationship between exposure to these indoor allergens and emergency room visits for acute asthma. This will involve measuring IgE antibodies in sera from the patients and measuring allergens in dust from their houses. Our preliminary results suggest that allergy to indoor allergens is a major risk factor for the development of acute asthma in patients less than 50 years old. However there appear to be regional seasonal and socioeconomic factors which influence the prevalence of IgE antibodies in asthmatic patients. We intend to investigate the extent to which these differences in distribution of IgE antibodies among asthmatic patients reflect differences in the quantities of relevant allergens in their houses. The results suggest that better understanding of and control of the levels of allergens in houses would be a major contribution to the management of this disease.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AI020565-05
Application #
3130292
Study Section
Immunological Sciences Study Section (IMS)
Project Start
1984-07-01
Project End
1992-06-30
Budget Start
1988-07-01
Budget End
1989-06-30
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
1988
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Virginia
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
001910777
City
Charlottesville
State
VA
Country
United States
Zip Code
22904
Wilson, Jeffrey M; Workman, Lisa; Schuyler, Alexander J et al. (2018) Allergen sensitization in a birth cohort at midchildhood: Focus on food component IgE and IgG4 responses. J Allergy Clin Immunol 141:419-423.e5
Schuyler, Alexander J; Wilson, Jeffrey M; Tripathi, Anubha et al. (2018) Specific IgG4 antibodies to cow's milk proteins in pediatric patients with eosinophilic esophagitis. J Allergy Clin Immunol 142:139-148.e12
Muehling, Lyndsey M; Turner, Ronald B; Brown, Kenneth B et al. (2018) Single-Cell Tracking Reveals a Role for Pre-Existing CCR5+ Memory Th1 Cells in the Control of Rhinovirus-A39 After Experimental Challenge in Humans. J Infect Dis 217:381-392
Schuyler, Alexander J; Tripathi, Anubha; Workman, Lisa J et al. (2018) Underestimation of specific IgE measurements using extract-based assays on undiluted sera revealed through dilution. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract 6:1070-1072.e4
Lawrence, Monica G; Palacios-Kibler, Thamiris V; Workman, Lisa J et al. (2018) Low Serum IgE Is a Sensitive and Specific Marker for Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID). J Clin Immunol 38:225-233
Hoyt, Alice E W; Chapman, Martin D; King, Eva M et al. (2018) Food allergen component proteins are not detected in early-childhood vaccines. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract 6:677-679
Smith, Anna R; Knaysi, George; Wilson, Jeffrey M et al. (2017) The Skin as a Route of Allergen Exposure: Part I. Immune Components and Mechanisms. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 17:6
Erwin, Elizabeth A; Rhoda, Dale A; Redmond, Margaret et al. (2017) Using Serum IgE Antibodies to Predict Esophageal Eosinophilia in Children. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 65:520-525
Wilson, Jeffrey M; Schuyler, Alexander J; Schroeder, Nikhila et al. (2017) Galactose-?-1,3-Galactose: Atypical Food Allergen or Model IgE Hypersensitivity? Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 17:8
Knaysi, George; Smith, Anna R; Wilson, Jeffrey M et al. (2017) The Skin as a Route of Allergen Exposure: Part II. Allergens and Role of the Microbiome and Environmental Exposures. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 17:7

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