Allergens involved in the cross-reactivity of Aedes aegypti with other arthropods

Abstract Background Cross-reactivity between Aedes aegypti and mites, cockroaches, and shrimp has been previously suggested, but the involved molecular components have not been fully described. Objective To evaluate the cross-reactivity between A aegypti and other arthropods. Methods Thirty-four serum samples from patients with asthma and/or allergic rhinitis were selected, and specific IgE to A aegypti , Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus , Dermatophagoides farinae , Blomia tropicalis , Periplaneta americana . and Litopenaeus vannamei was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Cross-reactivity was investigated using pooled serum samples from allergic patients, allergenic extracts, and the recombinant tropomyosins (Aed a 10.0201, Der p 10, Blo t 10, Lit v 1, and Per a 7). Four IgE reactive bands were further characterized by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem time of flight. Results Frequency of positive IgE reactivity was 82.35% to at least one mite species, 64.7% to A aegypti , 29.4% to P americana , and 23.5% to L vannamei . The highest IgE cross-reactivity was seen between A aegypti and D pteronyssinus (96.6%) followed by L vannamei (95.4%), B tropicalis (84.4%), and P americana (75.4%). Recombinant tropomyosins from mites, cockroach, or shrimp inhibited the IgE reactivity to the mosquito at a lower extent than the extracts from these arthropods. Several bands of A aegypti cross-reacted with arthropod extracts, and 4 of them were identified as odorant binding protein, mitochondrial cytochrome C, peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase, and protein with hypothetical magnesium ion binding function. Conclusion We identified 4 novel cross-reactive allergens in A aegypti allergenic extract. These molecules could influence the manifestation of allergy to environmental allergens in the tropics.