Open AccessElongation factor 1 β/δ of Echinococcus granulosus and allergic manifestations in human cystic echinococcosis
Author(s) -
Ortona E.,
Margutti P.,
Vaccari S.,
Riganò R.,
Profumo E.,
Buttari B.,
Chersi A.,
Teggi A.,
Siracusano A.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
clinical & experimental immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 135
eISSN - 1365-2249
pISSN - 0009-9104
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2249.2001.01569.x
Subject(s) - immunology , immunoglobulin e , echinococcus granulosus , antigen , epitope , allergy , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , immune system , eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1 alpha 1 , medicine , biology , antibody , in vitro , ribosome , zoology , rna , biochemistry , gene
Allergic reactions, such as urticaria, itching and anaphylactic shock, often complicate the course of cystic echinococcosis (CE). To investigate the role of the IgE‐immunoreactive recombinant Echinococcus granulosus elongation factor‐1 β/δ (EgEF‐1 β/δ ) in the allergic disorders during CE we determined humoral and cell‐mediated responses to this antigen in patients with CE grouped according to the clinical presence or absence of allergic reactions. Immunoblotting analysis showed that serum IgE‐binding reactivity to EgEF‐1 β/δ differed significantly in patients with and without allergic reactions (38 of 42, 90% vs. 31 of 56, 56%; P < 10 −4 ). EgEF‐1 β/δ induced a proliferative response in 14 of 19 (74%) patients' peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) irrespective of the allergic manifestations and skewed Th1/Th2 cytokine activation towards a preferentially Th2 polarization. Epitope mapping identified an immunodominant epitope of 18 residues with 78% identity and 89% similarity with an IgE‐immunoreactive Strongyloides stercoralis antigen. Overall these findings suggest that EgEF‐1 β/δ is an allergenic molecule that may be a general marker of the intensity of CE immune response and that could lead to a deeper understanding of the specific antigen‐induced mechanisms underlying allergic reactions in the human host.