Marker allergens and panallergens in tree and grass pollen allergy

Abstract

Many allergens from grasses and trees share structural similarities that result in IgE cross-reactivity. Some of these allergens are defined as marker allergens because immunoreactivity indicates sensitization to specific botanical families of grasses or trees, whereas other allergens are classified as panallergens because they elicit immunoreactivity to many unrelated allergen sources. These allergens are presented and discussed. It is concluded that the use of recombinant marker allergens in clinical routine work improves the accurate diagnosis of allergy for the prescription of immunotherapy.