HEMOLYTIC COMPLEMENT CONSUMPTION BY PARIETARIA POLLEN EXTRACTS IN RELATION TO PEPTIDE-BOUND FLAVONOIDS

Inhaled allergens from house dust, mites or animal danders activate hu man complement in vitro by engaging the Cl-component through a non-ant ibody-dependent mechanism. These earlier findings are extended by show ing that the allergenic components in extracts of Parietaria pollen ar e almost equally potent complement activators as those from house dust or mites. Spectroscopic evidence indicates that haemolytic complement consumption by the Parietaria allergens and their enzymic fragments i s most likely related to post-translational side-chains comprising fla vonoid derivatives. These adsorbed and/or peptide-bound tannin-like st ructures may also explain the exceptional stability of the high- and l ow-molecular mass allergenic components in Parietaria pollen extracts.