Fel d 1

Sensitization to cat is a common cause of allergic disease all over the world. Symptoms range from mild rhinoconjunctivitis to potentially life-threatening asthmatic exacerbations. In vivo and in vitro diagnostics of cat allergy is currently based on cat dander extract. As allergen extracts from natural sources are heterogeneous in composition, the allergen content may vary. With the introduction of allergens produced by recombinant techniques, a large panel of recombinant allergenic molecules including the major cat allergen, recombinant Fel d 1, has become available for immunological investigations, diagnosis and treatment.