Antigenicity of Ovomucoid Remaining in Boiled Shell Eggs

Antigenicity of egg white proteins which remained in heated shell eggs was analyzed quantitatively by using rabbit antibodies specific to egg white proteins and human antibody from patients allergic to egg. The major antigenic component in heated (100°C for 20 min) and coagulated egg white was ovomucoid. A considerable amount of ovomucoid remained immunoreactive even after heating at 100°C for 15 min, though ovomucoid in stored eggs was a little less stable to heating than that of fresh eggs. Even long-time heating (100°C for 45 min) could not completely eliminate the ovomucoid immunoreactivity to human IgE antibody.