STANDARDIZATION OF POLLEN ALLERGENS OF PARTHENIUM-HYSTEROPHORUS AND SELECTION OF AN IN-HOUSE REFERENCE EXTRACT

A standardized in-house reference extract from the pollen of Partheniu m hysterophorus, which is responsible for the high incidence of allerg ic rhinitis in India, was generated and examined by skin test, radio-a llergosorbent test inhibition and isoelectric focusing. Parthenium ref erence allergen discs and positive reference serum were also generated . These reference reagents could not only be used for the quantitation of Parthenium-specific IgE in the sera of rhinitis patients but also for the evaluation of allergenic activity (relative potency and lot-to -lot variation) of different batches of Parthenium pollen.