Allergen Content of Therapeutic Preparations for Allergen-Specific Immunotherapy of European Paper Wasp Venom Allergy

Allergy to (European paper wasp) venom is of particular relevance in Southern Europe, potentially becoming a threat in other regions in the near future, and can be effectively cured by venom immunotherapy (VIT). As allergen content in extracts may vary and have an impact on diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, the aim was to compare five therapeutic preparations for VIT of venom allergy available in Spain. Products from five different suppliers were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and LC-MS/MS and compared with a reference venom sample. Three products with venom and one product with a venom mixture of American species showed a comparable band pattern in SDS-PAGE as the reference sample and the bands of the major allergens phospholipase A1 and antigen 5 were assignable. The other product, which consists of a mixture of American species, exhibited the typical band pattern in one, but not in another sample from a second batch. All annotated allergens were detected at comparable levels in LC-MS/MS analysis of products containing venom. Due to a lack of genomic information on the American species, the remaining products were not analyzed by this method. The major allergens were present in comparable amounts in the majority, but not in all investigated samples of venom preparations for VIT of venom allergy.