ABSTRACT
Cannabis sativa (C.sativa) is well-known for its medicinal, industrial and recreational use. However, allergies in relation to Cannabis sativa (C.sativa) are rarely reported. C. sativa is one of the common weeds found in Pakistan and its pollen grains are common in spring and fall season. Although categorized as an aeroallergen, there are limited number of reports regarding allergenic potential in C. sativa. Therefore, the current study is aimed at exploring the IgE- binding potential among the C. sativa pollen in local pollen allergic patients. Initial screening of C. sativa sensitized individuals was carried out by dot blot from the sera of pollen allergic patients. Proteins from the pollen grains were extracted and resolved on 10% gel. Eight bands were visible on gel however only one protein fragment i.e. of 14KDa size was found to bind to IgE as analyzed through protein gel blot analysis. Strong IgE affinity of a 14 kDa protein fragment from C. sativa pollen extract suggests its allergenic potential. Further study is required to find the exact nature of this protein fragment.
Subject(s)
Cannabis/adverse effects , Immunoglobulin E/immunology , Plant Proteins/adverse effects , Pollen/adverse effects , Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal/immunology , Biomarkers/blood , Blotting, Western , Cannabis/immunology , Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel , Humans , Immunoglobulin E/blood , Intradermal Tests , Molecular Weight , Pakistan , Plant Proteins/immunology , Plant Proteins/metabolism , Pollen/immunology , Pollen/metabolism , Protein Binding , Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal/blood , Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal/diagnosisABSTRACT
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a central role in the regulation of the host immune system. Each TLR recognizes specific pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). TLR4 is one of the well characterized pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs) that recognizes the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Gram-negative bacteria, some conserved structures from fungal to mycobacterial pathogens and some endogenous ligands. A complex signaling cascade initiates after the ligand binds to the TLR4 ectodomain, leading to the activation of multiple inflammatory genes. Genetic variations greatly influence immune responses towards pathogenic challenges and disease outcome. In this review, we summarize various reports regarding TLR4 polymorphisms and disease susceptibility.
