Clinical and immunobiochemical characterization of airborne Peltophorum pterocarpum (yellow gulmohar tree) pollen: a dominant avenue tree of India.

BACKGROUND

Peltophorum pterocarpum (yellow gulmohar, PP) pollen is an important aeroallergen for type I hypersensitivity in the tropics.

OBJECTIVE

To isolate and characterize the IgE-binding proteins of PP pollen for the first time.

METHODS

Pollen extract was fractionated by a combination of Sephacryl S-200 column and diethylaminoethyl-Sephadex column. Allergen characterization was done by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, periodic acid-Schiff staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and western blotting. Allergenic activities were determined by in vivo (skin prick test) and in vitro (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and histamine release) analyses. To determine whether the carbohydrate chains are involved in immunoreactivity, deglycosylation of PP pollen proteins was performed.

RESULTS

SPT results on the respiratory allergic patients of Calcutta showed that 32.77% showed positivity with PP pollen. Eight IgE-reactive protein components were found in crude extract. Optimum IgE-reactive fraction 1 was resolved into five subfractions. The subfraction 1a showed maximum IgE reactivity containing the 28 kDa IgE-reactive component. Periodate oxidation showed that protein component was involved in its IgE binding. Twenty-eight kilodalton IgE reactive protein component was recognized by 75% of PP-sensitive patients in Western blotting. It also induced significant histamine release in sensitive patient sera.

CONCLUSIONS

The purified 28 kDa protein is a clinically relevant allergen with a potential for diagnosis and therapy of patients susceptible to PP pollen.