Environmental detection of mouse allergen by means of immunoassay for recombinant Mus m 1

• Published in: Journal of allergy and clinical immunology 2004-08, Vol.114 (2), p.341-346
• Main Authors: Ferrari, Elena, Tsay, Amy, Eggleston, Peyton A, Spisni, Alberto, Chapman, Martin D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: allergen standardization; Allergens - analysis; Allergens - immunology; Allergens - urine; Allergies; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Environmental Exposure; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; immunoassay; Immunopathology; in vitro diagnostics; Inner city; inner-city asthma; Male; Medical sciences; Mice - immunology; Mouse allergen; Mus; occupational asthma; Polyclonal antibodies; Proteins; Rabbits; recombinant allergen; Recombinant Proteins - analysis; Rodents; Studies
• ISSN: 0091-6749; 1097-6825
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2004.04.028

Mouse urinary allergens are an important cause of occupational asthma in animal facilities. Domestic exposure to mouse allergens is a risk factor for asthma among inner-city residents. We sought to develop a sensitive and specific assay for assessing environmental mouse allergen exposure. An ELISA for recombinant (r)Mus m 1 was developed by using rabbit polyclonal antibodies to rMus m 1 that were affinity purified against the natural allergen. Assay specificity was established by means of immunoblotting and ELISA. Mus m 1 levels in mouse, other mammalian allergenic products, and house dust samples from inner-city homes were compared. Polyclonal antibodies to Mus m 1 showed a single 20-kd band on immunoblots against rMus m 1 and male mouse urine. Parallel dose-response curves were obtained by using mouse urine extract and natural Mus m 1 or rMus m 1. Mus m 1 was detected in mouse allergenic products (0.10-10.0 μg/mL) and in gerbil allergenic products (0.1 μg/mL) but was less than the limit of detection in epithelial extracts from 10 other animal species. Environmental measurements showed an excellent correlation between Mus m 1 levels in house dust extracts from inner-city asthma studies by using 2 different Mus m 1 standards (n = 22; r = 0.99; P < .001). A highly sensitive ELISA has been developed with rMus m 1. This assay is suitable for monitoring domestic and environmental exposure to mouse urinary allergens.