ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the medically important stinging insects of the order Hymenoptera, and the main features of their venom allergenic components. The diverse, and yet analogous, protein molecules in the venom of bees, wasps, and ants (the most important genera being Apis, Vespula, Polistes, Vespa, and Solenopsis) have been thoroughly characterized, and in many cases, purified and recombinantly expressed. The molecular similarity of some of these components, as well as their immunogenicity and cross-reactivity are reviewed in this chapter. Multiple sensitivity of patients to different insects or to more closely related vespids can be due to multiple exposures and/or antigenic cross-reactivity of venom allergens. All this known information is leading to the availability of more specific diagnostic methods, and therefore more efficient approaches for the treatment of Hymenoptera-allergic patients.
