Chemical modification of crude timothy grass pollen extract. I. Antigenicity and immunogenicity changes following amino group modification.

Glutaraldehyde modification was found to reduce the allergenic potency of crude timothy pollen extracts yet even highly substituted materials retained the capability of inducing the formation of allergen-specific antibody in animals. Experiments showed that these antibodies were capable of blocking skin test reactions to native timothy allergens in pollen-sensitive human volunteers. The value of glutaraldehyde-modified allergen extracts for use in desensitization vaccine therapy is discussed.