Hypersensitivity Responses to Bee Venom and to Mellitin

Abstract

Bee venom has both antigenic and anaphylactoid properties. Immunization of mice with relatively small amounts of this venom induced both cutaneous and fatal systemic hypersensitivity to appropriate challenge with this material. Equivalent or greater systemic hypersensitivity was also induced by adrenalectomy or by heat stress, and thus a fatal reaction to this venom does not necessarily reflect an allergic condition. All immune and anaphylactoid responses to bee venom were reproduced with mellitin, a cationic polypeptide constituent of this venom. In contrast, enhanced response to phospholipase A was demonstrated only by systemic challenge of venom-immunized mice. The results suggest that mellitin is an important allergen as well as the major toxic constituent of whole bee venom.