Fungal allergens and allergen nomenclature.

Inhalation allergy to airborne particles derived from fungi is among the most important allergies. Safety, efficacy and reproducibility of specific allergy management are dependent on detailed knowledge of fungal allergen molecules. Historically, the first allergen molecules to be characterized using biochemical and immunochemical methods were of unknown biological function and a common allergen nomenclature soon became a necessity. The W.H.O. / I.U.I.S. Allergen Nomenclature Sub-committee has now for 20 years maintained the official 'list of allergens', which has become a recognized reference for allergen names. The list is available to the public at the website of the committee, http://www.allergen.org. Research into fungal allergens has recently expanded and the list currently holds 87 fungal allergens. Important fungal allergens include enzymes (enolase, proteases, etc.), ribosomal proteins, and heat shock proteins, derived from species such as Cladosporium and Alternaria spp. (outdoor air), and Aspergillus and Penicillium spp. (indoor air). Other species may dominate in special work environments where they cause occupational allergy. An inherent feature of most allergies is IgE cross-reactivity. IgE cross-reactivity has been addressed using extracts or purified recombinant fungal allergens in immunoblot absorption experiments, however, for a thorough investigation properly controlled quantitative inhibition experiments are indispensable.