Studies of Hypersensitivity to Fish

Abstract

An allergen extract from cod white muscle tissue was fractionated on DEAE-cellulose. An allergenically active group of proteins was separated from a protein group that contained minimal allergenic activity. Both groups were hetero-genous mixtures of antigenic protein. They were characterized by immunodiffusion, polyacrylamide gel disc electrophoresis and by biological activity and were also compared with myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic protein preparations from cod. When the allergenically active material was separated further by polyacrylamide gel disc electrophoresis, the major allergenic activity was located to 2 fast moving protein zones. These protein zones contained multiple anti-gens, 1 being in common for the 2 zones. Both protein zones appeared to contain the same major allergen(s).