BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Buckwheat is considered one of the most important food allergens in Korea. Although a very small amount is ingested or inhaled, it can cause serious allergic reactions. However, the major allergens of buckwheat still remain to be elucidated. The aim of our study was to identify and characterize the major allergen of buckwheat seed. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Dialysis membrane with a cut-off MW 1kD was used for the preparation of crude buckwheat seed allergen extract. SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions and IgE immunoblotting were performed using sera from 15 buckwheat sensitive subjects. Isoelectric focusing and lectin blotting assay were done. RESULT: Western blot analysis showed more than 15 IgE-reactive buckwheat proteins. Among them, a 24kD protein was shown to be the most frequently bound to sera from allergic subjects (54%). Isoelectric point of 24kD protein was around 5.9. In lectin blotting assay, 24kD protein did not bind to Con A nor five other lectins. CONCLUSION: A 24kD protein was the most frequently recognized allergenic component in buckwheat seed. Isoelectric point was around 5.9. Glycosylation was not detected in 24kD of buckwheat protein.
Allergens ; Blotting, Western ; Dialysis ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Fagopyrum* ; Glycosylation ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoblotting ; Immunoglobulin E ; Isoelectric Focusing ; Isoelectric Point ; Korea ; Lectins ; Membranes

PURPOSE: A Cow's milk allergy (CMA) is one of common problems during first year of life. Though milk caused allergic problems, their parents didn't know it, and gave milk to their children. But the parents don't give milk to their children if they know it. Therefore it may cause problems of growth and development in children. The purpose of this study is to analyze those clinical features of milk allergy confirmed by oral provocation test. METHODS: We carried out the retrospective study on 21 patients who had been performed oral milk provocation test at Yonsei university children's allergic clinic. RESULTS: 9 out of 21cases (43%) showed positive milk oral provocation test. The most common clinical symptom & sign was urticaria, followed by respiratory symptoms and abdominal symptoms. The rate which past history and positive skin test corresponded to oral provocation test was very high (100%). CONCLUSION: The most valuable diagnosis of food allergy is oral provocation test. However, predictive value of allergy skin test and past history was very high in milk allergy.
Child ; Diagnosis ; Food Hypersensitivity ; Growth and Development ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Milk Hypersensitivity ; Milk* ; Parents ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin Tests ; Urticaria

PURPOSE: Cat is the pet which many of us quite frequently contact without any specific precautions. According to the allergy skin tests conducted in children, cat antigen shows a comparatively high positive reaction, and past history also shows that there are many patients who suffer allergies from cat contacts. Therefore, once it is diagnosed as an allergy caused by cat, it is important that patients be isolated in order to restrict their contact with cat. In this context, this study was conducted for the purpose of finding out how serious and how frequent the allergies by cat contacts are. METHODS: Forty five children patients who visited to the Allergy Clinic for Children, Severance Hospital annexed to the Medical College, Yonsei University were enrolled in this study. Some of patients had shown a positive reaction against cat antigen in the allergy skin test, and others had a past history of developing symtoms when contacted by cat. The patients were isolated from cat for seven days, and then contacted with cats for 30 minutes and observed the provocated symptoms. RESULTS: 1) Among the tested patients, the number of cases who were provocated by the symptoms after cat contact were 18 (40%). 2) Among those patients who were shown to be positive only in allergy skin test, only 24.2% proved to be provocated by the symptoms, while 90.0% of those who had a past history in addition to allergy skin test proved to be provocated by the symptoms. 3) Symptoms provocated after cat contact showed allergic rhinitis patients 88.2% which was the highest ratio, bronchical asthma, 35.3%, urticaria, 29.4%, and allergic conjunctivitis, 23.5%, respectively. 4) The onset and duration of symptoms provcated were under 10 minutes and from 30 to 60 minutes, which included most cases in the test. 5) Total IgE and eosinophil count of patients did not show any meaningful differences between the group which was provocated and that which was not provocated. CONCLUSION: It was shown that 40% patients who were suspected of cat allergy had a positive reaction to the cat contact provocation test. Ninety percents of patients who showed both positive allergy skin test and past history were provocated after cat contact.
Animals ; Asthma ; Cats* ; Child ; Conjunctivitis, Allergic ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoglobulin E ; Rhinitis ; Skin Tests ; Urticaria

PURPOSE: There are compelling evidences that house dust mites are important in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis. Recently, detection of house dust mite allergens from clothing, skin, and dust from human hair has been reported. To evaluate the importance of house dust mite exposure in the clinical severity of atopic dermatitis. METHODS: We measured house dust mite allergens (Der f1 from Dermatophagoides farinae and Der p1 from D. pteronyssinus) in scalp dander from 27 children with atopic dermatitis and 41 children with asthma only by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and examined correlation between house dust mite allergen concentrations in scalp dander and clinical severity of atopic dermatitis in children. RESULTS: Der f1 was detectable in scalp dander samples of 32 patients (47%) from overall 68 patient and Der p1 was detectable in 33 patients (49%). House dust mite allergens (Der f1 or Der p1) were detectable in scalp dander samples of 46 patients (70%) from overall 68 patient. There was no significant differences in house dust mite allergen levels between atopic dermatitis patients and patients with asthma only. There was a tendency of inverse correlation between frequency of scalp washing and concentration of Der f1 in scalp dander extract (r=-0.24, P=0.052). There was a significant correlation between severity grade of atopic dermatitis and concentration of Der f1 in scalp dander (r=0.39, P<0.05) in 27 children with atopic dermatitis. However, there was no significant correlation between severity grade of atopic dermatitis and concentration of Der p1 in scalp dander (r=-0.05, P>0.05). CONCLUSION: There was a significant correlation between house dust mite allergen concentrations in scalp dander and clinical severity in children with atopic dermatitis. And these results suggest that exposure to house dust mite allergen is important in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis.
Allergens ; Asthma ; Child* ; Clothing ; Dander* ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Dermatophagoides farinae ; Dust* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Hair ; Humans ; Pyroglyphidae* ; Scalp* ; Skin

PURPOSE: Mold allergy is the one of the major causes of atopic diseases including asthma, and the Alternaria exists year-round in Korea is recognized as an important cause of many atopic asthma. Recent studies stress the significance of Alternaria as a cause of respiratory problems although detailed knowledge on this organism is limited, especially the relationship of the fungi to respiratory ailments as well as the allergenic nature of this organism. METHODS: The authors studied the purification methods of Alternaria allergen and examine how the allergen acts on atopic asthma. The Alternaria samples were cultured in potato-dextrose broth for 10 days, and a crude extract was obtained after dialysis and filtration. The crude extract was subjected to SDS-PAGE followed by staining, and the allergen was analyzed. Three subjects who showed positive allergy skin test to Alternaria were subjected to RAST and allergy skin test with the crude extract. RESULTS: SDS-PAGE of the curde extract showed more than 30 allergenic bands, and among those, 5 kD, 28 kD, 31 kD and 34 kD bands were the major allergens, indicating that the purification method used in the present study produced an extract with almost all major allergens. In 3 patients with Alternaria allergy we carried out allergy skin test with crude extracts. All three subjects showed positive allergy skin test. CONCLUSION: The crude extract obtained major allergens including 70 kD, 65 kD, 34 kD, 31 kD, 28 kD and 16 kD allergens, and like the results reported outside Korea. Alternaria was proved to be a major allergen in atopic asthma in Korea as well.
Allergens* ; Alternaria* ; Asthma ; Complex Mixtures ; Dialysis ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Filtration ; Fungi ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Korea ; Skin Tests

PURPOSE: Adverse reactions to mosquito bites have been recognized for some time, and these usually consist of large swellings, generalized urticaria, angioedema, and less frequently asthma. There have been some efforts to define immunologic characteristics of mosquito allergens throughout the world. But, in Korea, the immunologic analysis of mosquito allergen have not been made. METHODS: Extracts of locally distributed female mosquito Culex pipiens, were prepared from their heads and thoraxes. By sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, proteins of two extracts were isolated. Then their proein bands were transferred to nitrocellulose membrane. Immunoblotting was performed with sera of allergic patients to mosquito bites, then completed by antibodies to human IgE. RESULTS: Immunoblotting showed IgE binding proteins weighing 70 kD, 60 kD, 34 kD in Culex pipiens. CONCLUSION: We found that mosquito antigens induced IgE response, and it suggested that species-specific antigens exist. Further investigation using salivary gland extracts from Culex genus are needed in identifying specific allergens.
Allergens* ; Angioedema ; Antibodies ; Asthma ; Collodion ; Culex* ; Culicidae* ; Electrophoresis ; Female ; Galectin 3 ; Head ; Humans ; Immunoblotting ; Immunoglobulin E ; Korea ; Membranes ; Salivary Glands ; Sodium ; Thorax ; Urticaria

PURPOSE: Right middle lobe symdrome is characterized by a spectrum of disease from recurrent atelectasis and pneunomitis to brobchiectasis of the Right middle lobe symdrom. It was first reported gy Grahm describing 12 patients with middle loge atelectasis and bronchiectasis due to enlarged lymph nodes. The incidence of Right middle lobe syndome seems tobe increasing in children, byt there have been only a few studies of right middlelobe syndrome in Korea. METHODS: Twenty-five children with RMLS who had been admitted during the last 10 years were evaluated with particular attention to clinical features, laboratory results, bronchographic findings, and treatment RESULTS: All patients were symptomatic and complained of chronic cough(25), sputum(20), fever(16), dyspnea(3), vomiting(2), and foreign body in the bronchus(2). Most of the patients had recurrent pneumonia: 6 patients had Mycoplasma pneumonia, and 6 patients had ashma and allergic disorders. Only 5 out of the 25 patients showed sufficient obstruction on bronchography and 6 patients took computed tomography scans. Chest radiography, bronchography and computed tomography scans were evaluated for review in 25 patients showing consolidation(17), patchy infiltration(14), atelectasis(12), hyperinflation(5), bronchiectasis(2), and air bronchogram(2). Most patients were improved by conservative medical management and only 2 patients had closed thoracostomy. CONCLUSION: These 25 patients who had been diagnosed as Right middle lobe syndrome were improved after 2 week treatment of antibiotics and conservative management and their prognosis were good during the follow-up period.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bronchiectasis ; Bronchography ; Child ; Follow-Up Studies ; Foreign Bodies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Lymph Nodes ; Middle Lobe Syndrome* ; Pneumonia ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma ; Prognosis ; Pulmonary Atelectasis ; Radiography ; Thoracostomy ; Thorax

PURPOSE: Cockroaches have been reported one of the major causes of allergic disease such as bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis. About 10% of children and 20% of adult respiratory allergy patients have positive results of allergy skin tests to cockroach allergen. This finding suggests that cockroach is also important allergen in Korea. Among 4,000 species, German cockroach seems predominant species in the Korean peninsula. Identification and charactrerization of the major allergen is the first step in German cockroach allergen research. But, there have been controversies. It may depends upon different identifying methods. The aim of our study was to identify the major allergen in German cockroach using Westernblot. METHODS: Crude German cockroach allergen extracts with or without protease inhibitor cocktail mixture were prepared, and protein patterns of these two extracts were compared using SDS-PAGE and Coommssie stain. Sera from 32 atopic asthmatic patients with positive allergy skin test against cockroach allergen were used for IgE immunoblot. RESULTS: Coomassie stain after SDS-PAGE demonstrated some discordance between the differently prepared crude allergen extracts. In comparison with the allergen extract which abolished endogenous protease activity, the untreated extract revealed new 32, 55 and 78 kD protein bands and 41 kD protein band was disappeared. About 60% of sera with positive allergy skin test revealed IgE binding bands in Westernblot. Among them, 10, 21, 25, 36 and 52 kD protein band might seemed important German cockroach allergen. CONCLUSION: Finding above may suggest that endogenous protease could denature allergenic proteins in the process of crude cockroach allergen extract. The 10, 21, 25, 36, and 52 kD might be the important allergens in German cockroach.
Adult ; Allergens ; Asthma ; Blattellidae* ; Child ; Cockroaches ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoglobulin E ; Korea ; Protease Inhibitors ; Rhinitis ; Skin Tests

PURPOSE: Buckwheat is one of the most common food allegen in Korea and frequently elicit severe allergic reactions. However, up to now, only few reports on buckwheat allergens have been reproted. The purpose of this study was to isolate mRNA for the production of recombinant buckwheat allergens. METHODS: After the isolation of mRNA from ripening buckwheat seeds, in vitro translation was performed. The proteim patters of in vitro traslate products were identified using SDS-PAGE. RESULTS: A260/A260 ratio total RNA was 1.9 and mRNA was 2.0. In vitro translate products showed towered molecular buckwheat proteins such as 1, 3, and 14kD, while other high molecular weight protein of buckwheat seed were not shown in SDS-PAGE. CONCLUSION: mRNA of buckwheat was purified only from ripening seeds. The composition of mRNA was different according to the ripening periods. It is believed that this finding can give a clue to the basic research of buckwheat allergen.
Allergens ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Fagopyrum* ; Hypersensitivity ; Korea ; Molecular Weight ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger

No abstract available.
Periodicity* ; Skin*