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Histamine is an important mediator of allergic responses. Arthropods express several biologically active proteins in their saliva, which may allow a prolonged blood meal on the host. Proteins identified and expressed include histamine, serotonin, tryptase, and complement binding proteins. We review here data that scavenging of endogenous histamine by the histamine-binding protein EV131 has a profound inhibitory effect on allergic asthma. Aerosol administration of EV131 prevented airway hyperreactivity and abrogated peribronchial inflammation, eosinophil recruitment, mucus hypersecretion, and IL-4 and IL-5 secretion. Saturation with histamine abrogated the inhibitory effect of EV131 on bronchial hyperreactivity. The data suggest that histamine plays a role in allergies and that scavenging of histamine by EV131 may represent a novel therapeutic strategy in the treatment of allergic diseases.

Original publication

DOI

10.1196/annals.1352.009

Type

Journal article

Journal

Ann N Y Acad Sci

Publication Date

11/2005

Volume

1056

Pages

189 - 196

Keywords

Animals, Anti-Asthmatic Agents, Arthropods, Carrier Proteins, Histamine H1 Antagonists, Histamine H2 Antagonists, Humans, Proteins