Biomaterial Database

Allergens in Hymenoptera venom. XXVII: bumblebee venom allergy and allergens. 1996

D R Hoffman, and R S Jacobson

Department of Pathology, East Carolina University, School of Medicine, Greenville, NC 27858-4354, USA.

BACKGROUND Allergic reactions to bumblebee stings are much less common than allergic reactions to honeybee stings. Preliminary studies suggest that there may be a high degree of cross-reactivity between honeybee and bumblebee venoms. OBJECTIVE This study was done to determine the immunochemical and structural relationships between bumblebee and honeybee venom allergens. METHODS Allergens were purified from bumblebee venom and compared immunochemically with sera from patients with allergy and hyperimmunized rabbits. The purified proteins were characterized, enzyme activities were measured, and the complete amino acid sequences of two proteins were determined. RESULTS The venoms wer highly cross-reactive, consistent with the degree of structural similarity in the phospholipases. Hyaluronidases and acid phosphatases were also similar. Bumblebee venom contained several proteins not found in honeybee venom, including an interesting tryptic amidase related to clotting enzymes and acrosin. CONCLUSIONS Skin testing with honeybee venom will detect almost all cases of bumblebee venom allergy, however; RAST with bumblebee venom can detect some additional cases.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D006967	Hypersensitivity	Altered reactivity to an antigen, which can result in pathologic reactions upon subsequent exposure to that particular antigen.	Allergy,Allergic Reaction,Allergic Reactions,Allergies,Hypersensitivities,Reaction, Allergic,Reactions, Allergic
D007299	Insect Bites and Stings	Bites and stings inflicted by insects.	Insect Bites,Insect Stings,Bite, Insect,Bites, Insect,Insect Bite,Insect Sting,Sting, Insect,Stings, Insect
D008969	Molecular Sequence Data	Descriptions of specific amino acid, carbohydrate, or nucleotide sequences which have appeared in the published literature and/or are deposited in and maintained by databanks such as GENBANK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), National Biomedical Research Foundation (NBRF), or other sequence repositories.	Sequence Data, Molecular,Molecular Sequencing Data,Data, Molecular Sequence,Data, Molecular Sequencing,Sequencing Data, Molecular
D010450	Endopeptidases	A subclass of PEPTIDE HYDROLASES that catalyze the internal cleavage of PEPTIDES or PROTEINS.	Endopeptidase,Peptide Peptidohydrolases
D010740	Phospholipases	A class of enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of phosphoglycerides or glycerophosphatidates. EC 3.1.-.	Lecithinases,Lecithinase,Phospholipase
D011852	Radioallergosorbent Test	An in vitro allergen radioimmunoassay in which allergens are coupled to an immunosorbent. The coupled allergens bind the IgE in the sera of patients which in turn binds radioisotope-labeled anti-IMMUNOGLOBULIN E antibodies.	Radioimmunosorbent Assay of Allergens,Allergens Radioimmunosorbent Assay,Allergens Radioimmunosorbent Assays,Radioallergosorbent Tests,Test, Radioallergosorbent,Tests, Radioallergosorbent
D003429	Cross Reactions	Serological reactions in which an antiserum against one antigen reacts with a non-identical but closely related antigen.	Cross Reaction,Reaction, Cross,Reactions, Cross
D005779	Immunodiffusion	Technique involving the diffusion of antigen or antibody through a semisolid medium, usually agar or agarose gel, with the result being a precipitin reaction.	Gel Diffusion Tests,Diffusion Test, Gel,Diffusion Tests, Gel,Gel Diffusion Test,Immunodiffusions,Test, Gel Diffusion,Tests, Gel Diffusion
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000485	Allergens	Antigen-type substances that produce immediate hypersensitivity (HYPERSENSITIVITY, IMMEDIATE).	Allergen