EFFECTS OF MOLD PROTEASES ON THE BIOLOGICAL-ACTIVITY OF ALLERGENIC POLLEN EXTRACTS

Objective-To determine the effect of mold extracts with high protease activity on the biological activity of allergenic tree, grass, and wee d extracts, using in vivo and in vitro methods, in atopic dogs. Animal s-15 dogs with history and clinical signs of atopy. AII dogs had stron g positive reactions (3+ or 4+) to 1 or more preselected allergens and negative reactions (0) to molds. Procedure-Mold extracts and saline s olution were coincubated separately with tree, grass, and weed pollen extracts at 4 C for 30 and 180 days. Skin end-point titration (30-day incubation) and ELISA inhibition (30- and 180-day incubations) tests w ere performed on ail samples. The biological activity of pollen extrac ts coincubated with mold extracts was compared with that of pollen ext racts coincubated with saline solution. Results-In the skin end-point titration test, weed pollen extracts coincubated with a mixed mold ext ract lost a statistically significant amount of biological activity, c ompared with saline coincubated controls. In the ELISA inhibition test , grass and weed pollen extracts incubated with a mixed mold extract l ost a significant amount of biological activity, compared with saline coincubated controls. A significant correlation in the measurement of biological activity was found between a loss of end-point dilution in the skin end-point titration test and a decrease in relative potency, as measured by the ELISA inhibition lest for allergenic grass and weed extracts. Conclusion and Clinical Relevance-Mold proteases can decrea se the biological activity of certain grass and weed pollen extracts w hen coincubated in the same vial for 30 days. Separation of mold and p ollen extracts, when preparing immunotherapy vaccines, may help preven t loss of pollen extract potency and increase the vaccine's stability and efficacy.