Antigenic analysis of Cryptomeria japonica and Chamaecyparis obtusa using anti-Cry j 1 monoclonal antibodies.

In Japan, pollen of Cryptomeria japonica and Chamaecyparis obtusa are a yearly source of distress for many people suffering seasonally from allergic rhinitis. To study common epitopes shared by the two species, two monoclonal antibodies (moAbs) were raised against Cry j 1, which is the most predominant allergen in C. japonica. One of the moAbs was found to be reactive even to the major allergen of C. obtusa, demonstrating that the moAb (J1B01) can detect an epitope shared by both species J1B01 strongly inhibited the binding of the major allergens of C. japonica and C. obtusa to IgE of patients who are sensitive to C. japonica and C. obtusa. This finding signifies the importance of the epitope recognized by J1B01.