Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0277787 (stigma)
 13,352 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Inhalation of pollen grains and fungal spores leads to allergenic rhinitis and type I asthma mediated by IgE. The etiology of these conditions is due to the presence of substances that can induce anaphylactic processes in susceptible subjects. A combination of transmission electron microscopy with immunocytochemical methods was used to localize allergenic proteins in Parietaria judaica L. (Urticaceae) pollen grains. Germination of pollen grains was induced in vitro for 10 and 30 min to activate proteins in the intine and in material exuded from the pollen grains that are related to pollen-stigma recognition; these activated proteins would be the ones that react with the antibodies. The activation time, labeling intensity and specificity of the antigens depended on whether IgG (rabbit) or IgE (allergenic patient) was used. Abundant, non-specific labeling was observed with rabbit IgG. The labeling observed with human IgE was located more specifically in the intine (oncus) at random points near the apertures. The immunolocalization of allergenic proteins in the intine indicates the presence of proteins related to activation of the pollen grains. This fact confirms the function attributed to the intine in the processes of pollen tube formation and fertilization, and also the possible mechanism that is activated in the pollen grains when these reach the mucosa of sensitive subjects. In the case of P. judaica, the existence of a thickening of the intine below the apertures (oncus) and the release of its contents in an explosive fashion seem to be the main causes of their strong allergenic activity.
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PMID:Immunocytochemical localization of allergenic proteins in Parietaria judaica L. (Urticaceae) pollen grains. 879 91

Parietariajudaica L. (Urticaceae) pollen is considered one of the most common causes of allergic respiratory symptoms in the Mediterranean area. The localization of lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) in P. judaica mature and hydrated-activated pollen grains was investigated applying a combination of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with immunocytochemical methods. Our results show that the content of LTPs in P. judaica pollen grains changes during the process of hydration. The localization of judaica LTPs in the cytoplasm and in the lipid bodies associated with vacuoles demonstrated that LTPs represent primarily intracellular proteins. On the other hand, exposure of the pollen grains to germination medium induced the release of LTPs from the pollen grain. Thus, LTPs are cytoplasmic proteins that are secreted to become available for pollen-stigma interactions and probably induce the IgE antibody responses in allergic patients.
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PMID:Lipid transfer proteins in Parietaria judaica L. pollen grains: immunocytochemical localization and function. 1554 Apr 66

Saffron (Zaaferan), botanical name Crocus sativus, is the most expensive spice in the world. It is derived from the dried stigma and pistil of the purple saffron crocus flowers. Iran is the largest saffron producer accounting for more than 80% of the world's production. Saffron contains an aeroallergen that causes reactive respiratory allergic reactions in atopic subjects. IgG antibody to allergens in the serum of allergic patients is not routinely measured. In this study in order to find out more about mechanism of allergy against saffron pollen, specific antibodies (IgE and IgG, total and subclasses) in atopic subjects were assayed. We used an ELISA assay for measuring specific IgE and IgG against saffron pollen extract in the sera of 38 atopic subjects (test group) and 20 non allergic subjects (control group). The optical densities were compared between allergic subjects and non-allergic individuals. The prick test with saffron pollen extract was used to evaluate the cutaneous and specific antibody responses in the allergic subjects. The correlation was determined by statistical analysis. Specific saffron pollen IgE and IgG subclasses were found significantly higher in the allergic subjects than the control group. The immediate skin reaction was found positive in 70% of the test group. We report here, the existence of a positive correlation between specific IgE and skin reaction by prick test in atopic subjects (R= 0.433). A negative correlation between specific IgE and IgG4 subclass was also found (R= -0.576). These data may be useful to understand the mechanism of allergy to saffron and may help in clarifying clinical manifestations and to prevent IgE production as well as therapeutic application.
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PMID:Specific IgG antibodies (total and subclasses) against Saffron pollen: a study of their correlation with specific IgE and immediate skin reactions. 1809 41

Onchocerciasis is a severely debilitating yet neglected tropical disease (NTD) that creates social stigma, generates and perpetuates poverty, and leads ultimately in some cases to irreversible unilateral or bilateral blindness if untreated. Consequently, the disease is a major impediment to socioeconomic development. Many control programs have been launched for the disease with moderate successes achieved. This mitigated hit is partially due to the lingering need for reliable, non-invasive and easily applicable tools for mapping endemic regions and post-elimination surveillance. In this work, bioinformatics analyses combined with immunological assays were applied in a bid to develop potential tools for diagnosis and assessing the success of drug treatment programs. We report that (i) the O. volvulus antigen, Ov58GPCR is a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) conserved in related nematodes, (ii) synthetic peptides predicted to be in the extracellular domain (ECD) of Ov58GPCR are indeed immunogenic epitopes in actively-infected individuals, (iii) synthetic peptide cocktails discriminate between actively-infected individuals, treated individuals and healthy African controls, (iv) polyclonal antibodies against one of the peptides or against the bacterially-expressed ECD reacted specifically with the native antigen of O. volvulus total and surface extracts, (v) Ov58GPCR is transcribed in both larvae and adult parasite stages, (vi) IgG and IgE responses to the recombinant ECD decline with ivermectin treatment. All these findings suggest that the extracellular domain and synthetic peptides of Ov58GPCR, as well as the specific immune response generated could be harnessed in the context of disease diagnosis and surveillance.
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PMID:Prediction and validation of the structural features of Ov58GPCR, an immunogenic determinant of Onchocerca volvulus. 3025 90