Heat shock protein (hsp70)-related epitopes are common allergenic determinants for barley and corn antigens

IgE reactive components of barley and corn were compared using sodium dodec yl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and immunoblotted with sera from workers exposed to complex bioaerosols. The antibody made ag ainst Arabdopsis heat shock protein (hsp 70) was used to identify those com ponents equivalent to hsp 70 in molecular size. Components with a molecular mass of 69 kDa and 33 kDa were positively reacted, and immunoblots of two- dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were compared.