Allergenic and antigenic relationship between three species of storage mite and the house dust mite, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus

We have explored the antigenic and allergenic relationship between the house dust mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and three species of storage mite, Glycyphagus destructor, Acarus siro, and Tyrophagus longior. Crossed immunoelectrophoresis demonstrated that all the mite extracts contained multiple antigens but that there was only limited cross-reactivity between the different species. Six sera were obtained from workers exposed to storage mites and with occupationally related lower respiratory tract symptoms. All workers had specific IgE to D. pteronyssinus and to one or more of the storage mites. The pattern of reactivity varied between the different sera, two responded primarily to D. pteronyssinus and A. siro and four sera to D. pteronyssinus and G. destructor. Only weak responses were observed to T. longior. RAST-inhibition and affinity-absorption experiments demonstrated that D. pteronyssinus had at least three groups of distinct allergenic determinants, determinants specific to D. pteronyssinus, determinants shared with A. siro, and determinants shared with G. destructor. Similarly, both A. siro and G. destructor have specific allergenic determinants and determinants shared with D. pteronyssinus. The findings demonstrate the complexity of the immunologic responses to the different mite species.