ALLERGENECITY AND IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIFIC IgE BINDING PROTEINS IN POLLEN OF SPARTIUM JUNCEUM L. (FABACEAE) AND LAGERSTROEMIA INDICA L. (LYTRACEAE): THE EFFECT OF AIR POLLUTION ON THEIR ALLERGENECITY

Air pollutants are reported to increase the specific IgE response to allergens. To study allergen proteins and determine the effect of air pollutants on the allergenic potential of pollen extracts, the extracts were injected intraperitoneally and subcutaneously in guinea pigs. The results were analyzed by skin prick test (SPT), ELISA and SDS-PAGE followed by immunoblotting. The pollen extract of Spartium junceum showed positive SPT and increase of specific IgE antibodies than the control (buffer). Two IgE-binding bands were seen in the immunoblots of the pollen extract of this species. In Lagerstroemia indica, the pollen extracts showed no significant difference in wheel diameter compared to those in the control group, but I-E somewhat increased in the pollen extracts. The pollen extracts collected from the polluted region increased the response of SPT and specific IgE in both species. These extracts did not affect IgE-binding bands (proteins). Therefore, these findings indicate that air pollutants show adjuvant activity for the response of SPT and the production of I-E antibodies in guinea pigs by themselves.