Allergens of horse dander: comparison among breeds and individual animals by immunoblotting.

Some patients who are allergic to horses have reported that they can tolerate certain breeds, and the presence of breed-specific allergens has been suggested. Breeders and patients with asthma have claimed that Bashkir horses are nonallergenic. We used sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting to determine IgE-binding profiles of extracts of dander obtained from horses of several breeds. We found considerable inter-breed and within-breed variation but no breed-specific allergens. Danders from all breeds investigated contained the most important allergens, and the allergenic content of dander from Bashkir horses was similar to that of other breeds. Difference in scale production could account for differences in sensitivity to breeds and individual horses.