Dataset Information

Diagnosis of Vespa affinis venom allergy: use of immunochemical methods and a passive basophil activation test.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Allergy to Vespa affinis venom is common in the Asia Pacific region. Venom preparations for diagnosis are not commercially available for this species.

Methods

The prominent allergens in V. affinis venom were identifiedusing immunochemical methods. Use of ImmunoCAP of Vespula vulgaris crude venom/its components and a passive basophil activation test (BAT) in the diagnosis of patients who had anaphylaxis to V. affinis venom (n = 30) were also accessed. The IgE double-positivity rates (positive to both hornet and honeybee) in ImmunoCAP and the passive BAT were determined.

Results

High IgE reactivity was seen with the five allergens in V. affinis venom; 96% (29/30) for 34 and 24 kDa, 93% (28/30) for 45 kDa and 90% (27/30) reactivity for the 100 and 80 kDa respectively. IgE cross-reactivity was low with ImmunoCAP using V. vulgaris venom (43%; 13/30) and Ves v1 (3%; 1/30), but relatively high with Ves v5 (73%; 22/30). All patients (100%) were positive to V. affinis venom in passive BAT. In ImmunoCAP, a high double-positivity rate (76%; 23/30) was detected while no double-positivity was detected in passive BAT.

Conclusions

High IgE reactivity for five allergens of V. affinis points to the potential of using these allergens in component resolved diagnosis (CRD). The passive BAT has shown its importance as a promising diagnostic tool with high accuracy. It would be particularly useful in cases with doubtful double-positive results of other diagnostic tests.

SUBMITTER: Gunasekara P

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6894289 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Diagnosis of <i>Vespa affinis</i> venom allergy: use of immunochemical methods and a passive basophil activation test.

Gunasekara Peshala P Handunnetti S M SM Premawansa Sunil S Kaluarachchi Pradeep P Karunatilake Chandima C Ratnayake Indra P IP Dias R K S RKS Premakumara G A S GAS Dasanayake W M D K WMDK Seneviratne Suranjith L SL de Silva Rajiva R

Allergy, asthma, and clinical immunology : official journal of the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 20191204

<h4>Background</h4>Allergy to <i>Vespa affinis</i> venom is common in the Asia Pacific region. Venom preparations for diagnosis are not commercially available for this species.<h4>Methods</h4>The prominent allergens in <i>V. affinis</i> venom were identifiedusing immunochemical methods. Use of ImmunoCAP of <i>Vespula vulgaris</i> crude venom/its components and a passive basophil activation test (BAT) in the diagnosis of patients who had anaphylaxis to <i>V. affinis</i> venom (n = 30) were also a ...[more]

PMID: 31827544

Similar Datasets

Project description:Distinct animal lineages have convergently recruited venoms as weaponry for prey capture, anti-predator defence, conspecific competition, or a combination thereof. Most studies, however, have been primarily confined to a narrow taxonomic breadth. The venoms of cone snails, snakes, spiders and scorpions remain particularly well-investigated. Much less explored are the venoms of wasps (Order: Hymenoptera) that are infamous for causing excruciating and throbbing pain, justifying their apex position on Schmidt's pain index, including some that are rated four on four. For example, the lesser banded wasp (V. affinis) is clinically important yet has only been the subject of a few studies, despite being commonly found across tropical and subtropical Asia. Stings from these wasps, especially from multiple individuals of a nest, often lead to clinically severe manifestations, including mastocytosis, myasthenia gravis, optic neuropathy, and life-threatening pathologies such as myocardial infarction and organ failure. However, their venom composition and activity remain unexplored in the Indian subcontinent. Here, we report the proteomic composition, transcriptomic profile, and biochemical and pharmacological activities of V. affinis venom from southern India. Our findings suggest that wasp venoms are rich in diverse toxins that facilitate antipredator defence. Biochemical and pharmacological assessments reveal that these toxins can exhibit significantly higher activities than their homologues in medically important snakes. Their ability to exert potent effects on diverse molecular targets makes them a treasure trove for discovering life-saving therapeutics. Fascinatingly, wasp venoms, being evolutionarily ancient, exhibit a greater degree of compositional and sequence conservation across very distant populations/species, which contrasts with the patterns of venom evolution observed in evolutionarily younger lineages, such as advanced snakes and cone snails.