Isolation and partial characterization of three major allergens of horse hair and dandruff.

This research discusses the isolation and partial characterization of three dominant allergens found in horse hair and dandruff. Their molecular structures, characteristics, and allergenic activities were analysed.

Procedure for Allergen Isolation

• The method for isolating the allergens from horse hair and dandruff involved a process of fractionation – a technique used to separate a mixture into its component parts.
• This process combined several methods including ethanol precipitation at temperatures below –5°C, cation- and anion-exchange chromatography, and gel filtration.
• The researchers used UV absorption, quantitative immunoelectrophoresis, and RAST inhibition to monitor the separation of the allergens during the process.
• The recovery of pure allergens was significant, with contaminating proteins constituting less that 5% of the resulting substances.

Molecular Characteristics of Isolated Allergens

• The molecular weights of the isolated protein allergens, measured in Daltons (Da), were found to be 1.9 X 10⁴, 5.1 X 10⁴ and 3.1 X 10⁴ respectively.
• The isolated allergens also had determined isoelectric points (pI) – the pH at which they are electrically neutral – found to be 4.1, 3.8 and 3.9 in turn.

Amino Acid Composition of Isolated Allergens

• Amino acid analysis of the isolated allergens revealed significant variations in their compositions, potentially explaining differing reactivities in Radio Allergo Sorbent Test (RAST) experiments – assays used to detect the presence of specific IgE antibodies to allergens.

Allergenic Activities

• The study determined the allergenic activities or the capacity to cause an immune response of the isolated antigens through RAST inhibition as well as prick tests – a common method to test for immediate allergic reactions.