Cat (serum albumin) rFel d 2 IgE, e220

The culprits of allergies include pet hair. Allergy to a cat (lat. the name Felis) is most common compared to allergies to other animals. There are more than 12 allergens associated with a cat.

Allergocomponent diagnostics is based on the detection of sensitization to allergens at the molecular level using natural highly purified and recombinant allergen molecules, that is, their individual allergen components.

There are 3 main advantages of doing this analysis:

• Allergocomponent diagnostics makes it possible to differentiate true sensitization from sensitization due to cross-reactivity. This data will help determine the sources of allergies: one single allergy, several closely related ones, or many different ones.
• Molecular allergy diagnostics will eliminate the need for provocative tests and allow you to give clearer recommendations regarding the elimination of contact with allergens.
• Molecular allergodiagnostics is necessary in the selection of ASIT; in persons with polyvalent (multiple) sensitization, it is the most accurate way to determine the most important allergen for which therapy will be performed.

The allergenic substance contains not one but several protein components that can act as allergens:

• Major allergen components are the main allergenic molecules, antibodies to which are found in more than half (50%) of patients in the population responding to this source. They are resistant to heat and more immunogenic. They are large and are contained in this allergen in larger quantities.
• Minor allergen components are secondary, smaller in size, and less immunogenic allergenic molecules that are usually contained in smaller amounts in the allergen but are present in many different allergens, sometimes not closely related, providing cross-allergy. That is, allergens with a prevalence of more than 50% are called major allergens and less than 10% are called minor allergens.

The prevalence of allergies to cats and dogs varies in different geographical regions but is increasing worldwide. Although it depends on the time of exposure and allergic predisposition, allergies to cats represent the main risk of asthma and rhinitis. Allergy to cats begins in early infancy and progresses to adulthood. Twenty-six percent of patient visits to the clinic related to inhalation allergens were caused by cat sensitization.

Pork/cat syndrome or allergies to cat dander and pork may be mediated by cross-reactive antibodies against pork serum albumin and feline serum albumin (Fel d 2).