PROTEIN ANTIGENS IN CASES OF ASTHMA, RHIN ITIS, TOWARDS ANTIGENS WITHMOLECULAR-WEIGHT AND DERMATITIS IN PATIENTS OCCUPATIONALLY EXPOSED TOFLOUR

21 patients gave sera to clarify their clinical hypersensitivity towar ds flour proteins. 6 had dermatitis, 3 rhinitis and the others asthma. 3 patients showed a control reactivity towards the electrophoreticall y separated flour protein antigens while others had antibodies to flou r antigen with molecular weights less than 100 kD or 80 kD in the case of rye. Reactivity towards antigens with molecular weight higher than 50 kD was typical of dermatitis patients, while the rhinitis and asth ma cases' sera reacted towards lighter flour proteins in the 20-30 kD range. The procedure is simple, a random serum sample (5 ml) suffices, and it allows demonstration of sensitization to flour protein in a wa y which may be helpful in the evaluation of exposure and the diagnosis of allergic conditions due to flour dust, a major etiology of occupat ional respiratory disease.