Conventional and new approaches to hyposensitization.
Hyposensitization in IgE-mediated allergic diseases has traditionally been induced by immunotherapy in which increasing amounts of allergens have been injected until a maximal tolerated dose has been achieved. Among the most obvious immunological effects of immunotherapy have been the production of allergen-specific IgG and some impairment in the synthesis of allergen-specific IgE. In addition to allergen-specific IgG (sometimes described as blocking antibodies) anti-idiotypic and anti-isotypic (IgG anti-IgE) have recently attracted attention as possibly being involved in hyposensitization. The effects of immunotherapy at the cellular level (either as T cell control of IgE synthesis or as modulation of mediator release by effector cells) also deserve further investigation.
de Weck
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AL
Institute of Clinical Immunology, University of Bern, Inselspital, Switzerland.
D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000276:immunology*; D007139:Immunoglobulin epsilon-Chains / Q000276:immunology*
D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007139:Immunoglobulin epsilon-Chains