Serum Antigen-specific IgE Research Articles

A case control study of risk factors for Japanese cedar pollinosis

Risk factors for Japanese cedar pollinosis including past or family history of allergic diseases, smoking and passive smoking, dwelling conditions, and life events were analyzed by a case control method. Patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis (22 males and 67 females) were matched with a corresponding number of patients without potential symptoms of pollinosis according to sex and age (+/- 5 years). The mean age was 39 years in both groups. The odds ratio (OR) was calculated by McNemar's method and the conditional logistic regression model. The design and methodology in this study were somewhat inadequate so that the validity of the results is limited. The most important problem was no-matching according to exposure to pollen. Significantly high OR for past history of allergic disease (8.80, 95% confidence interval (CI); 3.49-22.2), atopic sermatitis (9.00, 95% CI; 1.14-71.0), and a sibling history of allergic disease (3.25, 95% CI; 1.06-9.97) were consistent with former genetical studies. ORs were lower than unity for current smokers (0.36, 95% CI; 0.11-1.13) and those smoking 10 cigarettes/day or more (0.20, 95% CI; 0.04-0.91) relative to nonsmokers. The OR for passive smoking from 7-15 years of age as a result of the father's smoking habit (0.38, 95% CI; 0.17-0.86) was also significantly low. Smoking was suggested to increase the level of total and antigen-specific IgE in serum by former studies, so that sensitization and symptoms should be studied separately. The high OR of residents in a business or light industrial area (5.00, 95% CI; 1.45-17.3) suggested an association with air pollution.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The effect of immunotherapy on the cutaneous late phase response to antigen

Background: This study used the skin chamber model to evaluate prospectively the effect of immunotherapy (IT) on the cutaneous early and late phase response (LPR) to epicutaneous antigen challenge. Methods: Nine subjects with allergic rhinitis were studied at three time points: before starting IT, after 3 months of IT, and after 6 months of IT. Skin chamber histamine content was measured hourly for 12 hours, and cell counts performed hourly during hours 6 to 12. An intradermal skin test was placed, and the reaction was measured hourly for 12 hours. Skin biopsy specimens were obtained 8 hours after intradermal placement and evaluated for cellular infiltrate and major basic protein deposition. Serum antigen-specific IgG and IgE levels were measured at each time point to confirm physiologic effect of IT. Results: Six months of IT significantly ( p < 0.05) decreased both early and LPR skin test reactivity and skin chamber histamine for hours 1 to 3, 4 to 6, and 9 to 12. Skin chamber LPR cellular influx decreased significantly ( p < 0.05) for neutrophils only. Decrease in LPR histamine after 6 months of IT was significantly correlated with both decrease in mononuclear cells ( R 2 = 0.817, p = 0.002) and decrease in neutrophils ( R 2 = 0.813, p = 0.009). Also significantly correlated were decrease in LPR skin test reactivity, with percent change in skin chamber mononuclear cells ( R 2 = 0.800, p = 0.009) and decrease in early skin test reactivity ( R 2 = 0.675, p = 0.01). Biopsy specimens showed no consistent change in either dermal cellular infiltrate or deposition of major basic protein. Conclusion: IT significantly attenuates cutaneous histamine release and skin test reactivity and is accompanied by a decrease in skin chamber LPR neutrophil influx without significantly altering the dermal infiltrate at 8 hours.

Systemic interferon gamma treatment in severe atopic dermatitis

Recent results suggest decreased interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) but high interleukin 4 (IL-4) production in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). Because the relative activities of IL-4 and IFN-gamma seem to regulate the amplitude of the IgE response we suggested a role for IFN-gamma in the treatment of AD. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of systemic IFN-gamma treatment in patients with severe AD. Patients with severe AD (n = 14) were treated with recombinant IFN-gamma for 6 weeks. During the study only basic local therapy with steroid-free hydrophilic or emollient ointments was allowed. Eight patients (57%) showed marked clinical improvement during systemic IFN-gamma therapy. Four of these patients showed continuous improvement 3 months after treatment was discontinued. Mean total and antigen-specific serum IgE concentrations were not statistically different during and after treatment, whereas mean spontaneous IgE production in vitro was significantly lower after 6 weeks of IFN-gamma therapy. Our results suggest that IFN-gamma treatment may represent a novel therapeutic approach in patients with severe AD.

Development and transfer of immediate cutaneous hypersensitivity in mice exposed to aerosolized antigen.

We previously showed that BALB/c mice sensitized to ovalbumin (OVA) by brief daily inhalations of antigen over 10 consecutive days exhibit elevated antigen-specific serum IgE antibody levels and increased airways responsiveness. For the first time, we now show that animals sensitized in this fashion to either OVA or ragweed (RGW) develop immediate hypersensitivity skin test reactions when challenged 2 d after completion of the sensitization protocol. Skin testing, performed by direct assessment of wheal formation after intradermal injection of allergen, was sensitive and specific, since animals exposed to RGW by inhalation only responded to RGW, and OVA-sensitized animals responded only to OVA. Positive reactions were associated with mast cell degranulation, whereas control injections were not. Since only sensitized IgE high responder BALB/c mice but neither nonsensitized BALB/c mice nor OVA-sensitized IgE low responder SJL/J mice exhibited wheal responses, induction of OVA-specific IgE appeared to be essential for the mediation of OVA-specific immediate hypersensitivity reactions of the skin in this model. Passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) testing confirmed the presence of antigen-specific IgE in the serum. Mice that developed IgG (predominantly IgG2b) anti-OVA antibodies did not respond to OVA injection, indicating that OVA-specific IgG was not involved in this system. Further support for the role of IgE in the immediate hypersensitivity response included the wheal response to intradermal injection of anti-IgE antibody that occurred in OVA- and RGW-sensitized mice at 10-fold lower concentrations than in nonsensitized BALB/c mice and not in sensitized SJL/J mice. After transfer of mononuclear cells from peribronchial lymph nodes of OVA- or RGW-sensitized BALB/c mice, naive, syngeneic recipients developed antigen-specific IgE and specific immediate hypersensitivity responses, indicating that the local lymphoid tissue at the site of sensitization can transfer responsiveness to these allergens. These results demonstrate for the first time the ability to elicit and study IgE-mediated immediate skin hypersensitivity responses in the mouse and illustrate the association of increased antigen-specific and total serum IgE levels, airways hyperresponsiveness, and antigen-specific immediate cutaneous reactivity after sensitization to allergen via the airways.