Comparative Study of Various Extraction and Purification Procedures Used for the Preparation of House Dust Allergen

Abstract

Crude extracts of house dust prepared by 3 different conventional procedures have a biological activity which can be demonstrated by skin tests. However, the fractions usually discarded when preparing the ''allergens'' also have an activity when used in skin tests. Although the chemical compositions of all crude fractions are different, their biological activities are similar. After the preliminary purifcation (adsorption on benzole acid, precipitation by (NH4)2SO4,...), 4 active fractions (B, D, E, G) have been found whatever the procedure of extraction. Among the 4 fractions (B, D, E, G), the D and E fractions are biologically very active, but have a different chemical nature. The D fraction is a mixture of protein components, and the E fraction has a mucoprotein nature.