title: Role of interleukin 4 and gamma interferon in the regulation of human IgE synthesis: possible alterations in atopic patients.
abstract: The IgE helper function of human T cell clones or their phytohemagglutinin-induced supernatants was positively correlated with their ability to produce or their content in interleukin 4 (IL-4), whereas it was inversely correlated with production of or content in gamma interferon. The addition to B cell cultures of anti-IL-4 antibody abolished not only the IgE synthesis induced by recombinant human IL-4, but also that induced by IL-4-producing T cell clones or their phytohemagglutinin-induced supernatants. A clonal analysis in nonatopic donors and patients with common atopy showed that atopics possess in their peripheral blood significantly higher numbers of T cells able to secrete IL-4 and to provide helper function for IgE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Immunology, University of Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Romagnani
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maggi
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Del Prete
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parronchi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Macchia
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tiri
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ricci
mesh_terms: D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000502:physiology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000502:physiology; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007378:Interleukins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D007378:Interleukins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D007371:Interferon-gamma