Fel d1 Blocking Antibodies: A Novel Method to Reduce IgE-Mediated Allergy to Cats.

Ebenezer Satyaraj,Peichuan Sun,Scott Sherrill,Carlo Cavaliere

doi:10.1155/2021/5545173

Abstract

Fel d1 is an important allergen produced by cats that causes IgE reactions in up to 95% of cat-allergic adults. Immunotherapy to reduce human allergy to cats has demonstrated that people have the capacity to produce allergen-specific neutralizing antibodies that block IgE-mediated allergic responses. We wished to determine if “blocking” antibodies could be used to reduce the IgE binding ability of cat allergens prior to their exposure to humans. Here, we describe the characterization of Fel d1-specific antibodies. We demonstrated the efficacy of a rabbit polyclonal and an allergen-specific chicken IgY to bind to Fel d1 in cat saliva and block Fel d1-IgE binding and IgE-mediated basophil degranulation. Fel d1 blocking antibodies offer a new and exciting approach to the neutralization of cat allergens.

Highlights

IntroductionCats produce several proteins including Fel d1-Fel d8, haptoglobin, and S100A12 that bind to IgE in catallergic individuals [4]
Human sensitivity to allergens released by cats is common [1,2,3]
The chicken egg anti-Fel d1 immunoglobulin Y (IgY) antibody was harvested from egg yolks from hens inoculated with purified Fel d1

Summary

Introduction

Cats produce several proteins including Fel d1-Fel d8, haptoglobin, and S100A12 that bind to IgE in catallergic individuals [4]. Fel d1 was identified as a major cat allergen in the early 1970s [5]. It is seen as the most potent of the known cat allergens, eliciting IgE responses in >90% of cat-allergic individuals [6]. Salivary, and lacrimal glands of the cat, the highest Fel d1 levels are found in saliva. Fel d1 is transferred from saliva to their hair when cats groom themselves. Cat dander containing Fel d1 allergen is spread to the environment as small airborne particles [6,7,8,9,10]

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Conclusion