IMMUNOLOGICAL CROSS-REACTIVITY OF ACID ANHYDRIDES WITH IMMUNOGLOBULIN-E AGAINST TRIMELLITYL-HUMAN SERUM-ALBUMIN

The purpose of this study was to determine whether workers sensitized by one acid anyhydride, trimellitic anhydride (TMA), would possibly re act immunologically to two other acid anhydrides, phthalic anhydride ( PA) or maleic anhydride (MA). We studied serum samples from four worke rs with TMA asthma and immunoglobin E (IgE) against TMA conjugated to human serum albumin (TM-HSA). In enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (EL ISA) cross-inhibition studies, TM-HSA inhibited IgE binding to TM-HSA, but when 100 times more P-HSA os M-HSA was used, no significant inhib ition occurred. However, in ELISA studies of P-HSA and M-HSA, we saw b inding of specific serum IgE, Finally, in passive transfer studies in rhesus monkeys with serum from an individual with antibodies to air th ree acid anhydrides, the following titers were obtained: TMHSA (4:32), P-HSA (1:8), M-HSA (negative). We conclude that cross-inhibition stud ies may not be the best method for determining whether an individual s ensitized to one antigen will react to a related antigen. The determin ation of biologic reactivity in a rhesus monkey model of passive cutan eous transfer makes it likely that biologic reactivity would also occu r in a human sensitized to TMA and then exposed to another anhydride s uch as PA.