Skin tests and histamine release with P1-depleted Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus body extracts and purified P1.

Monoclonal antibodies were raised against P1 and Dp X, two major allergens in Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus extracts. The concentrations of IgE antibodies to P1 and Dp X in sera of mite-sensitive patients were determined in RAST with immunosorbent-bound monoclonal antibodies used for insolubilization of the allergens. The major allergen-specific IgE titers were compared with the total IgE response against D. pteronyssinus. The results of these serologic assays confirmed studies in the literature that P1 and Dp X are major allergens. The contribution of IgE anti-P1 to the total antimite response frequently exceeded 50% and, in general, appeared to be higher than the contribution of IgE anti-Dp X. Twenty percent of the mite-sensitive patients had no detectable IgE to either P1 or Dp X. The contribution of P1 to the biologic activity of D. pteronyssinus body extracts was derived from the effect of P1 depletion on the reactivity in the histamine-release test and skin test. This technique was preferred to the study of purified allergen because biologic activity of the nonabsorbed components is not affected. Immunization of rabbits with affinity-purified P1 yielded monospecific polyclonal antisera. Mite extracts depleted with either monoclonal or polyclonal anti-P1 were applied in the histamine-release test. The skin test was performed with extracts depleted with polyclonal anti-P1. In addition, the activity of affinity-purified P1 was investigated in these tests. The results indicated that P1 depletion of D. pteronyssinus body extracts had no detectable effect on the activity in most patients, namely, at least 70% of the activity was retained in the depleted extract. There was a considerable variation between patients in the sensitivity for purified P1, as compared to the sensitivity for whole D. pteronyssinus extracts. In the histamine-release test, the activity of purified P1 was up to 35% of the activity of the D. pteronyssinus body extract but did not exceed 10% in most patients. This was in agreement with the relative activity of purified P1, as found in the skin test. Therefore, the contribution of P1 to the biologic activity of D. pteronyssinus body extracts, as measured by end point titration, appeared to be less than expected on the basis of the serologic studies and articles in literature. The depletion experiments stress that there is still much uncertainty as to the biologic activity of house dust-mite extracts.