ALLERGEN NOMENCLATURE
WHO/IUIS Allergen Nomenclature Sub-Committee
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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

Jappe U, Risha MA, Agache I, Bachert C, Bröker B, Castagnoli R, Gadermaier G, Goodman RE, Guemari A, Hilger C, Jacquet A, Kespohl S, Klimek L, Kuehn A, Lidholm J, Mahler V, Ollert M, Platts-Mills TA, Raulf M, Schmid-Grendelmeier P, Schmiedeke F, van Hage M, Vitte J, Zakzuk J, Pomés A. IgE-Binding Bacterial Components Not Yet Documented in the Allergen Databases and Their Allergenic Mechanisms: An EAACI Position Paper. Allergy 2026. doi: 10.1111/all.70510 (open access).
This position paper identified potential bacterial allergens and their reported clinical relevance in the published literature and considered candidates for inclusion in the Allergen Nomenclature database. The results point to long-neglected evidence of “bacterial allergy” that in certain cases may be induced by unconventional mechanisms. Diseases that are currently considered non-allergic might be re-classified as allergic.
Radauer C, Gadermaier G, Goodman RE, Jacquet A, Jappe U, Lopata AL, Pomés A, Raulf M, Santos KS, Zakzuk J, Zhang Y, Vitte J, on behalf of the WHO/IUIS Allergen Nomenclature Sub-Committee. New Allergens Approved by the WHO/IUIS Allergen Nomenclature Sub-Committee in 2021-2024 and Their Significance for Future Diagnostics, Regulation, and Research. An EAACI Task Force Report. Allergy 2026, 81: 684-699. doi: 10.1111/all.70166 (open access).
This review article dicusses current trends in molecular allergy research in the context of recently approved allergens. Topics inlcude the shifting focus of allergen discovery to regions outside of Europe and North America, emergencing new allergen sources due to globalization and climate change, and challenges in the assessment of the relevance of newly identified allergens when considering the acceleration of research fostered by new -omics technologies.
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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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The original allergen nomenclature guidelines, which were revised in 1995

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