MOUNTAIN CEDAR ALLERGENS FOUND IN NONPOLLEN TREE PARTS

Background: Mountain cedar (Juniperus ashei) pollen is the principal a eroallergen in south central Texas from late December through February . The major mountain cedar allergen is a 40-kD glycoprotein, gp40. Obj ective: To identify allergens in mountain cedar wood, leaves, and berr ies and to detect mountain cedar allergen in smoke from burning male o r female trees. Methods: SDS-PAGE plus mountain cedar human sIgE and m onoclonal antibody immunoblots identified mountain cedar allergens wit hin pollen and nonpollen tree part extracts. Results: IgE immunoblots identified a single wood allergen at 36 kD and three berry allergens a t 36, 26-27, and 21 kD, in addition to known pollen allergens. Mountai n cedar monoclonal antibody bound an allergen epitope present not only on 40, 33, and 28-kD pollen allergens, but also on 36 and 32-kD wood allergens, and the 26-27-kD berry allergen. Immunoblot studies detecte d no mountain cedar allergen in leaves and no allergen in smoke from b urning male and female trees. Allergens constituted a much smaller per centage of extractable protein in wood and berries than in pollen. Con clusions: Mountain cedar berry allergen content is too small to give c redence to the ingestion of berries as a folk medicine treatment of mo untain cedar pollinosis. in addition, while smoke from burning mountai n cedar trees may be irritating, it contains no allergens that could c ause allergic rhinoconjunctivitis.