ABSTRACT
Pollen is one of the major causes of allergy worldwide. Pollen allergens can cause an immediate hypersensitivity [type 1, IgE-mediated] response in susceptible individuals. Hypersensitivity to saffron pollen is a serious problem, especially among the people who working with Saffron flowers. The aim of this study was to identify protein with IgE binding activity [allergenic protein] in a saffron pollen extract. Proteins of the saffron pollen extract recognized by human IgE antibodies were investigated by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Proteins with IgE binding activity were identified with sera from 23 patients who suffered from continues sneezing, rhino rhea, conjunctivitis, throat irritation, shortness of breath during exposure with Saffron flowers. A chemiluminescent immuno-detection method was used to study IgE binding activity'of saffron pollen proteins with patients's sera.Six IgE immimoreactive proteins ranging in molecular weight from 13.5 to 85 KD were identified. From among of these proteins, four with apparent molecular weight of 13.5-14, 19.5-20, 42-43 and 85 KD could be identified with more than 35% of our allergic patient's sera. While two proteins with IgE binding activity [58 and 67 KD] could be demonstrated for only some of our saffron allergic patients.In conclusion, in this study we demonstrated the presence of several IgE binding proteins in the total extract of saffron pollen