ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the events leading from the historical beginnings of a nomenclature of allergens to today's official system that is constantly evolved and refined by an international panel of allergen experts of the World Health Organization/International Union of Immunological Societies Allergen Nomenclature Sub-Committee. The allergen nomenclature and its terminology (isoallergens, isoforms, and variants) are explained, and the inclusion criteria for allergens in the systemic nomenclature are discussed in detail. Current methods for measuring allergen-specific IgE antibodies in sera of allergic individuals are summarized. The chapter also introduces the reader to the biology and protein family membership of allergens and gives an overview of the most important allergen databases in use today.
