Mammalian raw materials used to produce allergen extracts.

OBJECTIVE: To provide information about the complexity of skin-derived mammalian allergen extracts and recent advances made in their characterization and production.

DATA SOURCES: Original and review articles (involving nonfood allergy to mammals) published in indexed journals were searched in the PubMed database.

STUDY SELECTIONS: Studies were selected with the following criteria: novelty, species of the study, and date of publication.

RESULTS: The information provided will help in the understanding and the selection of the appropriate allergen source materials for the preparation of extracts for the diagnosis and treatment of allergic respiratory diseases induced by the inhalation of skin-derived mammalian allergens. The data presented herein suggest the presence of cross-reactive and species-specific allergens in extracts prepared from different mammalian dander. Dander should be strongly considered in the preparation of allergenic extracts not only of cats and dogs but also of other mammalian species.

CONCLUSION: New methods should be developed to estimate the relative quantities of specific allergens in the extracts. The current knowledge illustrates the complexity of these extracts, and more efforts should be undertaken to fully understand the wide spectrum of mammalian allergens.