A controlled study of allergen production in cultures of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus

Allergenic substances have been isolated from cultures of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus on wheat germ flakes and powdered yeast; as controls, non-sterile nutrient medium containing no mites, as well as sterile medium, were maintained and extracted under identical conditions. Chemical purification and analyses indicated the occurrence of skin-active allergens in all three preparations. This was confirmed by the assay of skin-reactivity in vivo anti complement-inactivating capacity in vitro. Quantitatively, the medium containing bacteria and fungi contained more allergen than the sterile control, but less than the mite-infected medium. The evidence indicates that degradation reactions of nutrient components proceed faster in the non-sterile media than in thc stcrile control. The results of immunochemical analyses demonstrate that degradation reactions give rise to the introduction of lysine-sugar structures into high-molecular weight components from the medium. It is concluded that mites and micro-organisms have a role in allergen formation by promoting degradation reactions among nutrient constituents.