ALLERGEN NOMENCLATURE
WHO/IUIS Allergen Nomenclature Sub-Committee
Financial contributions from IUIS, EAACI, and AAAAI

Member Login

Allergen Nomenclature Publications

Official papers published by the WHO/IUIS Allergen Nomenclature Sub-Committee
Other nomenclature-related papers by members of the sub-committee

The first WHO/IUIS allergen nomenclature was published in 1986 by the founding members of the committee. A revision reflecting the current allergen nomenclature was published in 1994/5 in several journals, along with an editorial outlining the changes made in the revised nomenclature. Later, the sub-committee also published minor updates of the nomenclature, specifications of allergen submission guidelines as well as updates of names for specific groups of allergens. You will also find below other nomenclature-related articles published by members of the sub-committee.

Official papers published by the WHO/IUIS Allergen Nomenclature Sub-Committee

Platts-Mills TA, Hilger C, Jappe U, van Hage M, Gadermaier G, Spillner E, Lidholm J, Keshavarz B, Aalberse RC, van Ree R, Goodman RE, Pomés A. Carbohydrate epitopes currently recognized as targets for IgE antibodies. Allergy 2021; 76: 2383-94; doi: 10.1111/all.14802.
Free full text at PubMed Central
A summary of carbohydrate epitopes that are involved in IgE binding and their clinical relevance. IgE binging glycans are classified into five groups (A-E). A summary of this paper is also included on the allergen nomenclature wesite, see Carbohydrate epitopes.
Chan SK, Pomés A, Hilger C, Davies JM, Mueller G, Kuehn A, Lopata AL, Gadermaier G, van Hage M, Raulf M, Goodman RE, on behalf of the WHO IUIS Allergen Nomenclature Sub-Committee. Keeping Allergen Names Clear and Defined. Front Immunol 2019; 10: 2600, doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02600 (open access).
This report summarizes recent developments that led to updates in classification of cockroach group 1 and 5 allergens, heterodimeric secretoglobulins and IgE-binding glycans. Moreover, an overview of respiratory allergens from pollen and fungi and of occupational food allergens is provided.
Pomés A, Davies JM, Gadermaier G, Hilger C, Holzhauser T, Lidholm J, Lopata AL, Mueller GA, Nandy A, Radauer C, Chan SK, Jappe U, Kleine-Tebbe J, Thomas WR, Chapman MD, van Hage M, van Ree R, Vieths S, Raulf M, Goodman RE, on behalf of the WHO IUIS Allergen Nomenclature Sub-Committee. WHO/IUIS Allergen Nomenclature: Providing a common language. Mol Immunol 2018; 100: 3-13, doi: 10.1016/j.molimm.2018.03.003 (open access).
A review of criteria for the acceptance of a proteins as an allergen to be included in the WHO/IUIS Allergen Nomenclature Database
Radauer C, Nandy A, Ferreira F, Goodman RE, Larsen JN, Lidholm J, Pomés A, Raulf-Heimsoth M, Rozynek P, Thomas WR, Breiteneder H. Update of the WHO/IUIS Allergen Nomenclature Database based on analysis of allergen sequences. Allergy 2014; 69: 413-9, doi: 10.1111/all.12348 (open access).
A summary of updates of allergen names approved at the meetings of the committee in 2011 through 2013 (e.g. renaming allergens from ragweed pollen and peanut and isoallergens of Bet v 1), reflecting progress in identification, cloning, and sequencing of allergens.
Larsen JN, Lowenstein H. Allergen Nomenclature. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1996; 97: 577-8, doi: 10.1016/s0091-6749(96)70301-9
Get full text (reproduced here with permission)
An editorial describing the changes made in the 1994 nomenclature
King TP, Hoffman D, Lowenstein H, Marsh DG, Platts-Mills TAE, Thomas W. Allergen nomenclature. IUIS/WHO Allergen Nomenclature Subcommittee. Bull World Health Organ 1994; 72: 797-806
Get full text (reproduced here with permission)
The revised allergen nomenclature guidelines published in 1994. This naming system is still valid today. This article was also published in the J Allergy Clin Immunol, Allergy, Int Arch Allergy Immunol and Clin Exp Allergy.
Marsh DG, Goodfriend L, King TP, Lowenstein H, Platts-Mills TA. Allergen nomenclature. Bull World Health Organ 1986; 64: 767-74
Get full text (reproduced here with permission)
The original allergen nomenclature guidelines, which were revised in 1995

Other nomenclature-related publications by members of the sub-committee