Allergenic cross-reactivity of cytochromes c of Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass pollens.

The allergenic cross-reactivity of cytochromes c isolated from Kentucky bluegrass (KBG) and ryegrass (RG) pollens was demonstrated by the finding that both cytochromes elicited PCA reactions of comparable titers in rats sensitized with murine reaginic antiserum to either KBG or RG cytochrome c. However, allergenic differences were revealed at limiting doses of the cytochromes c; under these conditions RG cytochrome c elicited PCA reactions only with the homologous reaginic serum, whereas KBG cytochrome c elicited PCA reactions with both murine reaginic sera. Moreover, in experiments involving inhibition of PCA, RG cytochrome c failed to neutralize some of the IgE antibodies of the antiserum to KBG cytochrome c, whereas KBG cytochrome c neutralized all IgE antibodies of both murine reaginic antisera. From these results it may be concluded that: (1) the two cytochromes c share common allergenic determinants, and (2) the KBG cytochrome c possesses additional allergenic determinant(s) not present on RG cytochrome c. The radioallergosorbent test, utilizing KBG cytochrome c discs and a pool of sera of individuals allergic to KBG, was inhibited to the extent of 87 or 41% by the addition of 10 micrograms of KBG or RG cytochrome c, respectively. By contrast both cytochromes c at 10 micrograms were equally effective in the inhibition (92%) of the binding of the IgE antibodies in this serum pool to RG cytochrome c allergosorbent discs. These experiments confirmed that the two cytochromes share common allergenic determinants.