A two-dimensional electrophoretic analysis of latex peptides reacting with IgE and IgG antibodies from patients with latex allergy.

Latex proteins from nonammoniated natural rubber latex were investigated for their reactivity with antibodies in the sera of patients with spina bifida and health care workers with allergy to latex. Immunoblots of two-dimensional electrophoresis were used to compare the reactivity of various polypeptides against IgE, IgG, and subclasses of IgG. A total of 79 polypeptides showed reactivity with IgG and IgE antibodies from different patients. IgG showed reactivity with all the 79 polypeptides, while IgE reacted with 56 allergens. IgG2 reacted with the least number of proteins, while IgG4 reacted with the largest number of polypeptides. Several antigens were identified as significant due to their reactivity with antibodies in latex-allergic patients. Four proteins reacted with IgE, IgG1, IgG3 and IgG4 of only spina bifida patients with latex allergy, while one other protein reacted only with health care workers. Thus, these relevant latex peptides may be isolated, purified, and used in various assays for more reliable diagnosis of latex allergy.