Description
Bee venom phospholipase A2 (PLA) is the main allergen in the bee sting allergy. Bee venom phospholipase A2 (BV-PLA2) is a hydrolytic enzyme which specifically cleaves the sn-2 acyl bond of phospholipids at the lipid/water interface. BV-PLA2 is a 14–16-kDa glycoprotein, consisting of 134 amino acids and displaying a single carbohydrate side chain at the residue Asn13. It is also held to be responsible for some systemic anaphylactic reactions in bee venom sensitized individuals. BV-PLA2 presents 3 peptide and a glycopeptide T cell epitopes, which are recognized by both allergic and non-allergic bee venom sensitized subjects. PLA is able to elicit both IgE mediated allergy and normal immunity to bee sting which usually is associated with high affinity IgG4 anti-PLA antibodies