Allergens in Hymenoptera venom XXVII: Bumblebee venom allergy and allergens

• Published in: Journal of allergy and clinical immunology Vol. 97; no. 3; pp. 812 - 821
• Main Authors: Hoffman, Donald R., Jacobson, Robert S.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Mosby, Inc 01.03.1996; Elsevier
• Subjects: Allergens - chemistry; Allergens - isolation & purification; Allergic diseases; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Apidae; Bee Venoms - chemistry; Bee Venoms - enzymology; Bee Venoms - immunology; Bees - enzymology; Bees - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Bombus; Cross Reactions; Cross-reactivity, bee, phospholipase, venom, bumblebee, protease, Hymenoptera; Endopeptidases - isolation & purification; Humans; Hymenoptera; Hypersensitivity - blood; Hypersensitivity - immunology; Immunodiffusion; Immunopathology; Insect Bites and Stings - blood; Insect Bites and Stings - immunology; Medical sciences; Molecular Sequence Data; Phospholipases - isolation & purification; Radioallergosorbent Test; SDS-PAGE; Skin allergic diseases. Stinging insect allergies; Sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; SDS-PAGE; Cross-reactivity, bee, phospholipase, venom, bumblebee, protease, Hymenoptera; Human; Immunopathology; Allergy; Insecta; Sting; Apidae; Bombus; Apis mellifera; Apoidea; Arthropoda; Venom; Cross reaction; Hymenoptera; Invertebrata; Aculeata; Allergen
• ISSN: 0091-6749; 1097-6825
• DOI: 10.1016/S0091-6749(96)80159-X

Background: Allergic reactions to bumblebee stings are much less common than allergic reactions to honeybee stings. Preliminary studies suggest that there may be a high degree of cross-reactivity between honeybee and bumblebee venoms. Objective: This study was done to determine the immunochemical and structural relationships between bumblebee and honeybee venom allergens. Methods: Allergens were purified from bumblebee venom and compared immunochemically with sera from patients with allergy and hyperimmunized rabbits. The purified proteins were characterized, enzyme activities were measured, and the complete amino acid sequences of two proteins were determined. Results: The venoms were highly cross-reactive, consistent with the degree of structural similarity in the phospholipases. Hyaluronidases and acid phosphatases were also similar. Bumblebee venom contained several proteins not found in honeybee venom, including an interesting tryptic amidase related to clotting enzymes and acrosin. Conclusion: Skin testing with honeybee venom will detect almost all cases of bumblebee venom allergy, however; RAST with bumblebee venom can detect some additional cases.