Non‐mutated tumor‐rejection antigen peptides elicit type‐I allergy in the majority of healthy individuals

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Abstract
IgE‐mediated type‐I allergy is generally considered to be a hypersensitivity reaction to foreign antigens, and it is believed that self‐antigens do not evoke this type of allergy. We report here, for the first time, that non‐mutated self‐antigen peptides identified as tumor‐rejection antigen peptides recognized by HLA class I‐restricted and tumor‐specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) elicited a type‐I allergy in the majority of healthy individuals. Peptide‐specific IgE was detectable in sera from certain cases, although the levels did not always correlate with those of type‐I allergy. Repeated vaccinations of nonallergic peptides derived from the same antigens possessing allergic peptides resulted in the suppression of both allergic peptide‐specific IgE responses and type‐I allergy, providing evidence for a new approach to the development of peptide‐based desensitization.