Anunya OpasawatchaiWatchareewan YolwongWalairat ThuncharoenNanthicha InrueangsriSulak ItsaradisaikulCherapat SasisakulpornWanlapa JotikasthiraOranart MatangkasombutOnrapak ReamtongWiparat ManuyakornWisuwat SongnuanPonpan MatangkasombutChulalongkorn UniversityChulabhorn Research InstituteFaculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol UniversityMahidol University2020-03-262020-03-262020-02-01World Allergy Organization Journal. Vol.13, No.2 (2020)193945512-s2.0-85079400366https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/53698© 2020 The Authors Background: Mosquito allergy is common in tropical countries but remains under-diagnosed. This may be due to the lack of knowledge and diagnostic tools for tropical mosquito allergens. Objective: We aimed to characterize allergens from tropical mosquito species and investigate IgE reactivity in mosquito-allergic patients to the salivary gland proteins from these mosquitoes. Methods: Salivary gland extract (SGE) from 4 mosquito species, highly distributed in the tropics, including Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Anopheles dirus b, were studied. SGE-specific IgE and IgG ELISA were developed, and serum from 64 mosquito-allergic and 22 non-allergic healthy control subjects was assayed. Further investigations using IgE-immunoblots followed by mass spectrometry analysis were performed to identify and characterize allergens from each species. Results: Mosquito-allergic subjects have detectable serum IgE to SGE derived from local mosquito species, while the IgE levels to Aedes communis using commercially available ELISA were mostly minimal. IgE-immunoblot analysis and mass spectrometry identified 5 novel mosquito allergens from A. albopictus (Aed al 2, Aed al 3), C. quinquefasciatus (Cul q 2.01, Cul q 3), and A. dirus b (Ano d 2). Interestingly, 4 of the 5 new allergens belong to the D7 protein family. Conclusions & clinical relevance: Five novel allergens from 3 tropical mosquito species were characterized. The majority of mosquito-allergic subjects who live in the tropics have IgE reactivity to these allergens. Our study paves the way for the development of diagnostic tests, component-resolved diagnostics, and future immunotherapy for mosquito allergy in tropical countries.Mahidol UniversityImmunology and MicrobiologyMedicineArticleSCOPUS10.1016/j.waojou.2020.100099