Red soft coral (RSC; Dendronephthya nipponica, a marine coelenterate) causes spiny lobster fishermen living along the Pacific coast of Miyazaki Prefecture in Japan to develop occupational allergies, such as conjunctivitis, rhinitis, dermatitis and bronchial asthma. The aim of this study was to purify and to characterize RSC allergen, which causes occupational asthma in spiny lobster fishermen. The allergic responsiveness of spiny lobster fishermen to RSC was examined. The examinations included specific IgE production, skin test responses, lymphocyte stimulation tests and specific IgG production. We found that RSC has a strong sensitizing activity in humans at a molecular weight of 10 kD or more, while it has no IgE-producing activity at a molecular weight of less than 10 kD. Neither the nonatopic controls nor the atopic non-coral-allergic controls exhibited any RAST-binding activity to any fraction. For the purification and the identification of this new allergen component, repeated gel filtration of the RSC extract was performed on a Sephacryl S-200 column, followed by gel filtration on a Superose-6 column. The purified major allergen component Den n 1, which is separated on a Mono-Q column, showed intradermal responses, lymphocyte stimulating activity and specific IgG-producing activity in RSC-induced bronchial asthma patients. The 53-kD component was electroblotted on a polyvinylidene difluoride membrane. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of this new allergen component (Den n 1) was determined as Asp-Asp-Ile-Asn-Arg-Tyr-Ala-Phe-Asp-Asn-Lys-Ile-Asn- Asp-Lys-Leu-Phe-Asp-His-Trp-Gln-Ser.

Keywords:
Bronchial asthma, Occupational allergy, Red soft coral, Purification of allergen, Determination of allergen component
1.
Onizuka R, Inoue K, Kamiya H: Red soft coral induced allergic symptoms observed in spiny lobster fishermen. Jpn J Allergy 1990;39:339–347.
2.
Brooks SM, Hammad Y, Richards I, et al: The spectrum of irritant-induced asthma: Suden and not-so-sudden onset and the role of allergy. Chest 1998;113:42–49.
3.
Asai S, Krzanowski JJ, Anderson WH, Martin DF, Polson JB, Lockey RF, et al: Effects of the toxin of red tide, Ptychodiscus brevis, on canine tracheal smooth muscle; a possible new asthma-triggering mechanism. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1982;69:418–428.
4.
Bernstein ID, Bernstein IL: Occupational asthma; in Middleton E, et al (eds): Allergy: Principles and Practice, ed 5. St. Louis, Mosby 1998, pp 963–980.
5.
Lawrence SM: An approach to the diagnosis of occupational asthma. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 1999;83:577–582.
6.
Oka S, Suzuki H, Jyo T, Tsuji M: Purification of two types of sea squirt antigen. Int Archs Allergy Appl Immunol 1979;59:408–419.
7.
Jyo T, Kodomari Y, Kuwabara W, Katsutani T, Shigeta S: Therapeutic effect and titers of the specific IgE and IgG antibodies in patients with sea squirt allergy (Hoya asthma) under a long-term hyposensitization with three sea squirt antigens. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1989;83:386–393.
8.
Tan RA, Spector SL: Diagnostic testing in occupational asthma. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 1999;83:587–592.
9.
Japanese Allergy Association: The judgmental criteria for the severity of bronchial asthma. Jpn Allergy 1983;32:1186–1199.
10.
Ceska M, Eriksson R, Varga JM: Radioimmunosorbent assay of allergens. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1972;49:1–9.
11.
Pharmacia Diagnostics: Phadebas RAST Radioimmunoassay. Uppsala, April 1984.
12.
Ishizaki T: Immediate skin test. Jpn Allergy 1963;12:14–30.
13.
Ishizaki T: Allergic intradermal reaction – the natural quality and application – J Jpn Med Assoc 1969;62:761–772.
14.
Kamiya H, Muramoto K, Goto R, Sakai M, Endo Y, Yamazaki M: Purification and characterization of an antibacterial and antineoplastic protein secretion of a sea hare, Aplysia juliana. Toxicon 1989;27:1269–1277.
15.
Uchida H, Sasaki T, Uchida NA, Takasuka N, Endo Y, Kamiya H: Oncostatic and immunomodulatory effects of a glycoprotein fraction from water extract of abalone, Haliotis discus hannai. Cancer Immun Immunother 1987;24:207–212.
16.
Hirshhorn K, Bach F, Kolodny RL, Firschein IL, Hsahem N: Immune response and mitosis of human peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro. Science 1963;142:1185.
17.
Holland P, Mauer AM: Drug induced in vitro stimulation of peripheral lymphocytes. Lancet 1964;i:1368.
18.
Lind P: Purification and partial characterization of two major allergens from the house dust mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1985;76:753–761.
19.
Yasueda H, Mita H, Yui Y, Shida T: Isolation and characterization of two allergens from Dermatophagoides farinae. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol 1986;81:214–223.
20.
Tao Y, Kido M, Obata H, Hayashi T, Onizuka R, Inoue K, Kamiya H: Guinea pig asthma induced by red soft coral (Dendronephthya nipponica) inhalation. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 1994;105:317–324.
21.
Ishizaka K, Ishizaka T: Role of IgE and IgG antibodies in reaginic hypersensitivity in respiratory tract; in Lichtenstein LM, Austern KF (eds): Asthma: Physiology, Immunopharmacology and Treatment. New York, Academic Press, 1973, pp 55–68.
22.
Lichtenstein LM, Ishizaka K, Norman PS, Sobotka AK, Hill BM: IgE antibody measurement in ragweed hay fever. Relationship to clinical severity and the results of immunotherapy. J Clin Invest 1973;52:472–483.
23.
Kamiya H, Muramoto K, Yamazaki M: Aplysianin-A, an antibacterial and antineoplastic glycoprotein in the albumen gland of a sea hare, Aplysia kurodai. Experientia 1986;42:1065–1067.
© 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel
2001
Copyright / Drug Dosage / Disclaimer
Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Drug Dosage: The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any changes in indications and dosage and for added warnings and precautions. This is particularly important when the recommended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug.
Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publishers and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements or/and product references in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.
You do not currently have access to this content.