Mesoscale atmospheric transport of ragweed pollen allergens from infected to uninfected areas.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Grewling L
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5050238 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Mesoscale atmospheric transport of ragweed pollen allergens from infected to uninfected areas.
Grewling Ł Ł Bogawski P P Jenerowicz D D Czarnecka-Operacz M M Šikoparija B B Skjøth C A CA Smith M M
International journal of biometeorology 20160202 10
Allergenic ragweed (Ambrosia spp.) pollen grains, after being released from anthers, can be dispersed by air masses far from their source. However, the action of air temperature, humidity and solar radiation on pollen grains in the atmosphere could impact on the ability of long distance transported (LDT) pollen to maintain allergenic potency. Here, we report that the major allergen of Ambrosia artemisiifolia pollen (Amb a 1) collected in ambient air during episodes of LDT still have immunoreacti ...[more]
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Project description:BackgroundAllergy to short ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) pollen is a serious and expanding health problem in North America and Europe. Whereas only 10 short ragweed pollen allergens are officially recorded, patterns of IgE reactivity observed in ragweed allergic patients suggest that other allergens contribute to allergenicity. The objective of the present study was to identify novel allergens following extensive characterization of the transcriptome and proteome of short ragweed pollen.MethodsFollowing a Proteomics-Informed-by-Transcriptomics approach, a comprehensive transcriptomic data set was built up from RNA-seq analysis of short ragweed pollen. Mass spectrometry-based proteomic analyses and IgE reactivity profiling after high resolution 2D-gel electrophoresis were then combined to identify novel allergens.ResultsShort ragweed pollen transcripts were assembled after deep RNA sequencing and used to inform proteomic analyses, thus leading to the identification of 573 proteins in the short ragweed pollen. Patterns of IgE reactivity of individual sera from 22 allergic patients were assessed using an aqueous short ragweed pollen extract resolved over 2D-gels. Combined with information derived from the annotated pollen proteome, those analyses revealed the presence of multiple unreported IgE reactive proteins, including new Amb a 1 and Amb a 3 isoallergens as well as 7 novel candidate allergens reacting with IgEs from 20-70% of patients. The latter encompass members of the carbonic anhydrase, enolase, galactose oxidase, GDP dissociation inhibitor, pathogenesis related-17, polygalacturonase and UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase families.ConclusionsWe extended the list of allergens identified in short ragweed pollen. These findings have implications for both diagnosis and allergen immunotherapy purposes.
| S-EPMC4552831 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe prevalence of sensitization to ragweed has risen in North America and across Europe. Although the pectate lyase Amb a 1, the major allergen of ragweed, was identified as long ago as the 1960s, little is known about the allergenicity of the 5 Amb a 1 isoallergens and other allergens present in ragweed pollen. Ragweed extracts and purified Amb a 1 isoallergens have now been characterized for their allergenic potential to determine whether a single Amb a 1 isoallergen, several isoallergens or a combination with other allergens should be included in a recombinant SIT vaccine.MethodsExtracts from North American short ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) pollen were investigated by mass spectrometry (MS), 2D-PAGE and immunoblotting. Furthermore, Amb a 1 isoallergens were purified and IgE reactivity determined by immunoblotting and IgE inhibition.Results2D-PAGE and MS of ragweed extract proved the presence of all 5 known Amb a 1 isoallergens, of which Amb a 1.01 represents the dominant form. Additionally all other ragweed allergens known by sequence (Amb a 3, Amb a 4, Amb a 5, Amb a 6, Amb a 8, Amb a 9, Amb a 10) were identified. The highest IgE reactivity by immunoblotting was observed for Amb a 1.01 followed by Amb a 1.03; other Amb a 1 isoallergens as well as other detected ragweed allergens showed only weak IgE reactivity. All isoallergens with the exception of Amb a 1.04, which is only of low abundance in ragweed extract, were purified. Similar to the immunoblot analysis with crude extract, the purified isoallergens Amb a 1.02 and Amb a 1.05 showed weak IgE binding, whereas Amb a 1.01 and Amb a 1.03 had high IgE reactivity. First IgE inhibition experiments suggest that Amb a 1.01 contains all relevant IgE epitopes.ConclusionsAmb a 1.01 is the most abundant Amb a 1 isoallergen, and presumably the most important ragweed allergen. However, a larger panel of ragweed-allergic subjects has to be analyzed with regard to IgE and T cell reactivities, to be able to choose a candidate for a recombinant vaccine for specific immunotherapy of ragweed allergy.
| S-EPMC3512999 | biostudies-other
Project description:BackgroundRagweed is a major cause of seasonal allergy, affecting millions of people worldwide. Several allergens have been defined based on IgE reactivity, but their relative immunogenicity in terms of T cell responses has not been studied.ObjectiveWe comprehensively characterized T cell responses from atopic, ragweed-allergic subjects to Amb a 1, Amb a 3, Amb a 4, Amb a 5, Amb a 6, Amb a 8, Amb a 9, Amb a 10, Amb a 11, and Amb p 5 and examined their correlation with serological reactivity and sequence conservation in other allergens.MethodsPeripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from donors positive for IgE towards ragweed extracts after in vitro expansion for secretion of IL-5 (a representative Th2 cytokine) and IFN-γ (Th1) in response to a panel of overlapping peptides spanning the above-listed allergens were assessed.ResultsThree previously identified dominant T cell epitopes (Amb a 1 176-191, 200-215, and 344-359) were confirmed, and three novel dominant epitopes (Amb a 1 280-295, 304-319, and 320-335) were identified. Amb a 1, the dominant IgE allergen, was also the dominant T cell allergen, but dominance patterns for T cell and IgE responses for the other ragweed allergens did not correlate. Dominance for T cell responses correlated with conservation of ragweed epitopes with sequences of other well-known allergens.Conclusions and clinical relevanceThese results provide the first assessment of the hierarchy of T cell reactivity in ragweed allergens, which is distinct from that observed for IgE reactivity and influenced by T cell epitope sequence conservation. The results suggest that ragweed allergens associated with lesser IgE reactivity and significant T cell reactivity may be targeted for T cell immunotherapy, and further support the development of immunotherapies against epitopes conserved across species to generate broad reactivity against many common allergens.
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Project description:Pollen allergens are one of the main causes of type I allergies affecting up to 30% of the population in industrialized countries. Climatic changes affect the duration and intensity of pollen seasons and may together with pollution contribute to increased incidences of respiratory allergy and asthma. Allergenic grasses, trees, and weeds often present similar habitats and flowering periods compromising clinical anamnesis. Molecule-based approaches enable distinction between genuine sensitization and clinically mostly irrelevant IgE cross-reactivity due to, e. g., panallergens or carbohydrate determinants. In addition, sensitivity as well as specificity can be improved and lead to identification of the primary sensitizing source which is particularly beneficial regarding polysensitized patients. This review gives an overview on relevant pollen allergens and their usefulness in daily practice. Appropriate allergy diagnosis is directly influencing decisions for therapeutic interventions, and thus, reliable biomarkers are pivotal when considering allergen immunotherapy in the context of precision medicine.
| S-EPMC4803804 | biostudies-literature
Project description:We have recently developed pollen grains (PGs) as a unique method to deliver vaccines orally. Extensive chemical processing ensures allergen-free pollen microcapsules that can be loaded with vaccine antigens. Successful oral vaccine delivery has been previously demonstrated by us in a mouse model. However, the underlying mechanisms that help the processed PGs to achieve this goal were not fully understood. In this study, we wanted to understand the effects of chemically processed ragweed pollen (Ambrosia elatior) on the innate immune system. Intestinal epithelial cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells all bridge the innate and adaptive immunity. This study has shown that in response to ragweed pollen all these cells release inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Scanning electron microscopy imaging revealed that macrophages can engulf ragweed pollen. In addition, in the presence of ragweed, mouse dendritic cells upregulated their activation markers, that is, CD40, CD80, CD86, and MHC class II molecules. Ragweed pollens did not cause significant cell membrane damage as compared to similarly sized poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) particles. Moreover, ragweed did not affect the integrity of the intestinal epithelial cells. Ragweed pollens were also found in the subepithelial region of the small intestine 24h after pollens were gavaged to mice. Our current findings lead to the conclusion that besides transporting the vaccine cargo, ragweed pollen shells have additional immunomodulatory properties that help the orally delivered antigen to effectively induce an immune response.
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Project description:The aim of the present study was to determine the pattern of symptoms of ragweed pollen-induced allergic disease in sensitized patients from Romania and to compare the molecular diagnosis of allergy with the skin prick test, in order to better characterize allergic patients and to guide therapy. A total of 97 subjects, including patients with ragweed pollen-induced allergic rhinoconjunctivitis with/without asthma, as well as healthy controls, were recruited prospectively in one ragweed pollen season, submitted to allergy questionnaires, skin prick tests and multiplex specific IgE (immunoglobulin E) measurement by ImmunoCAP ISAC (ImmunoCAP Immuno-Solid phase Allergy Chip) assay. A total of 83 patients were sensitized to ragweed pollen. Most patients (73%) were diagnosed with moderate-severe intermittent allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and 25% of the patients also had allergic asthma. The most common symptoms were watery rhinorrhea (91.57%), nasal obstruction (86.75%), and sneezing (85.54%). Most patients were polysensitized (62.65%), especially to other pollens, house dust mites and animal danders. Only 90% of the patients with positive skin prick test to ragweed pollen extract also had increased specific serum IgE to Amb a 1. Current options for specific molecular diagnosis of ragweed allergy are limited, as they only contain one or few of the sensitizing allergens present in ragweed pollen. An improved component-resolved diagnosis, using several ragweed pollen allergens, is required for better patient characterization and subsequent selection of an appropriate allergen immunotherapy product, thereby enabling a more personalized approach to the management of the ragweed-allergic patient.
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Project description:BackgroundPollen contains hundreds of different proteins. However, only a small fraction of them have been identified to be allergenic. We aimed to test the hypothesis that most pollen proteins are non-allergenic due to their high extent of sequence conservation among non-related species.MethodsData on the composition of pollen proteomes of birch (Betula pendula), pellitory (Parientaria judaica) and timothy grass (Phleum pratense) were obtained from the literature. Sequences were downloaded from UniProt and manually classified into allergens and non-allergens. Complete proteome sequences of 3 dicotyledonous species (Arabidopsis thaliana, Populus trichocarpa and Vitis vinifera), 2 monocotyledons (Oryza sativa subsp. japonica and Zea mays) and one moss (Physcomitrella patents) were downloaded from ENSEMBL Plants. Sequences of pollen proteins were compared to these proteomes by using BLAST and the hits yielding the highest sequence identity recorded taking into account only sequence alignments at least 40 residues in length. The distributions of maximum sequence identities of allergens and non-allergens from each species were compared using the Mann-Whitney test.ResultsAllergens from birch and pellitory pollen were significantly (P < 0.001) less similar to proteins from monocots than non-allergenic pollen proteins. Median sequence identities to the nearest rice and maize homologues were 49 and 52% for birch allergens, 86 and 85% for birch non-allergens, 37 and 37% for pellitory allergens, and 87 and 89% for pellitory non-allergens. Similarly, timothy grass pollen allergens were significantly (P < 0.0001) less similar to dicot proteins than non-allergenic pollen proteins. Median sequence identities to the nearest homologues were 43 to 44% for allergens and 81 to 83% for non-allergens. A comparison of all 3 pollen proteomes to sequences from the moss P. patens yielded similarly significant differences.ConclusionsPollen allergens belong to evolutionary less conserved protein families than non-allergenic pollen proteins. The continual exposure of the human immune system to nearly identical and hence highly cross-reactive conserved proteins from multiple pollen and plant food species most likely leads to the induction of immunological tolerance rather than allergic sensitization.
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| S-EPMC4120309 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Oral delivery of vaccines is highly desirable, yet it has met with limited success. Previously we developed allergen-free pollen grains as a novel approach for oral vaccination. We showed that spores of Lycopodium clavatum can be used for oral vaccination. However, it is unknown if pollens of other species can be similarly used as an oral vaccine carrier. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated common ragweed (RW) pollen (Ambrosia elatior) for its oral vaccination potential. Allergen-free RW pollens were prepared from natural pollens through chemical treatment. Eight weekly oral doses of ovalbumin (OVA) formulated with treated RW generated strong systemic (anti-OVA IgG, IgG1, IgG2a, and IgA) and mucosal (anti-OVA IgA) immune responses that sustained for at least three months after vaccination. Mucosal IgA against OVA was found in the lung lavage, feces, saliva, and vaginal secretion. Moreover, three and half months after the last immunization OVA-specific plasma cells were found in the bone marrow that actively secreted IgG and IgG1 antibodies. No IgE against RW-specific proteins was detected in the serum. Overall, RW pollen demonstrated potential for oral vaccine delivery.
| S-EPMC6223656 | biostudies-literature
Project description:One of the key input parameters for numerical pollen forecasts is the distribution of pollen sources. Generally, three different methodologies exist to assemble such distribution maps: (1) plant inventories, (2) land use data in combination with annual pollen counts, and (3) ecological modeling. We have used six exemplary maps for all of these methodologies to study their applicability and usefulness in numerical pollen forecasts. The ragweed pollen season of 2012 in France has been simulated with the numerical weather prediction model COSMO-ART using each of the distribution maps in turn. The simulated pollen concentrations were statistically compared to measured values to derive a ranking of the maps with respect to their performance. Overall, approach (2) resulted in the best correspondence between observed and simulated pollen concentrations for the year 2012. It is shown that maps resulting from ecological modeling that does not include a sophisticated estimation of the plant density have a very low predictive skill. For inventory maps and the maps based on land use data and pollen counts, the results depend very much on the observational site. The use of pollen counts to calibrate the map enhances the performance of the model considerably.
| S-EPMC5179590 | biostudies-literature