Abstract
Information regarding the cross-reactivity of antigens is valuable to allergy clinicians, researchers and the pharmaceutical industry. The purpose of this study is to suggest antigenic cross-reactivities, focusing on the grass family (Poaceae) antigens. Historically, allergy literature has documented co-occurring allergies and used these correlations to suggest possible cross-reactivities between the antigens within the correlating pairs. Following this pattern, we have analyzed 2400 patient case, optimal dose skin test results of 79 commercially available antigens with the statistical technique of controlled partial correlations to suggest possible cross-reactivities between antigens within the correlating pairs. A consistently applied skin test method was analyzed with a single statistical method. Interestingly, not only could 220 correlations with a significance level greater than 99% be achieved using the optimal dose levels of the skin tests, but 33 of these significant correlations were supported in peer-reviewed, cross-reactivity literature. This study suggests that statistical analysis of optimal dose skin test results can be used as a preliminary step in the selection of possible cross-reactive antigens for laboratory study. Cross-reactivity is suggested not only within the grass family antigens, but also with apparently unrelated species.