Advances in the quantification of relevant allergens in allergenic extracts.

Relevant allergens are major contributors to the safety and efficacy of allergenic extracts used in allergen immunotherapy (AIT). As such, they should be accurately quantified, as recommended by the 2008 European guidelines on allergen products. Until now, the quantification of relevant allergens was mainly performed by using immunoassays (e.g. ELISA) that relying upon specific antibodies. Although antibody-based quantification is commonly used to assess the concentration of relevant allergens in allergenic extracts, results must be taken with caution in the light of the inherent limitations of such techniques. In the present study, we discuss how those limitations can be overcome by using comprehensive mass spectrometry-based techniques.