A multicentric study was conducted to evaluate the frequency of Mercurialis annua pollen sensitization in several areas of Spain and to select a population sample to characterize the main allergenic components in M. annua pollen. Patients were recruited from six hospitals in Spain. Out of 420 patients sensitized to pollens, 195 (46.4) showed positive skin tests to M. annua, thus evidencing the high level of sensitization to the pollen of this plant in Spain. Thirty-seven sera with RAST class values to M. annua ≥ 3 were selected for SDS-PAGE immunoblotting analysis. Two main allergenic components with molecular weigths of 15.8 and 14.1 kD were detected in 59 and 51 of the sera, respectively, and they were identified as profilins. Isolation of the relevant allergens was made by affinity chromatography on a poly-L-proline -Sepharose column, followed by gel filtration and anion exchange chromatography in the micropreparative SMART® System. A significant but low antigenic cross-reactivity between M. annua and Olea europaea, Fraxinus elatior, Ricinus communis, Salsola kali, Parietaria judaica and Artemisia vulgaris was demonstrated by several in vitro techniqu
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