Graph based study of allergen cross-reactivity of plant lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) using microarray in a multicenter study.

The study of cross-reactivity in allergy is key to both understanding. the allergic response of many patients and providing them with a rational treatment In the present study, protein microarrays and a co-sensitization graph approach were used in conjunction with an allergen microarray immunoassay. This enabled us to include a wide number of proteins and a large number of patients, and to study sensitization profiles among members of the LTP family. Fourteen LTPs from the most frequent plant food-induced allergies in the geographical area studied were printed into a microarray specifically designed for this research. 212 patients with fruit allergy and 117 food-tolerant pollen allergic subjects were recruited from seven regions of Spain with different pollen profiles, and their sera were tested with allergen microarray. This approach has proven itself to be a good tool to study cross-reactivity between members of LTP family, and could become a useful strategy to analyze other families of allergens.

Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (projects BIO2009-07050 and SAF2008-04053) and FIS-Thematic Networks, and Co-operative Research Centers: RIRAAF (RD07/0064). C Gómez Casado and L Tordesillas have been supported by training grants from the Spanish Government (FPI and FPU programmes, MEC, respectively). J Aguirre has been supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (project FIS2011-27569) and Comunidad de Madrid, R&D Program of Activities, grant MODELICO-CM S2009ESP-1691.