title: Modulation of IgE synthesis by IgE-binding factors released by T cells of asthmatic patients with elevated serum IgE.
abstract: The culture supernatants of unstimulated T cells (TCS) from asthmatic patients with elevated serum IgE were tested for IgE-binding factors (IgE-BFs) displaying the IgE-potentiating activity. The IgE-BFs were detected by their ability to inhibit the rosetting of RPMI 8866 cells with ox erythrocytes coupled with mouse monoclonal antibody (E-Mab) specific to Fc receptors for IgE (Fc epsilon R). TCS showing the rosette-inhibiting activity significantly enhanced the spontaneous IgE synthesis by B cells of allergic individuals. Interestingly, rosette-inhibiting factors could be removed by absorption with IgE-Sepharose from which they were subsequently eluated with acid buffer, indicating that the rosette inhibition was indeed mediated by IgE-BFs. In addition, such IgE-BFs had affinity for concanavalin A and lost their IgE-potentiating activity after treatment with trypsin and neuraminidase. In contrast, T cells treated with tunicamycin released IgE-suppressing factors capable of inhibiting the IgE-potentiating activity of TCS derived from untreated T cells. On the other hand, the culture supernatants from subpopulations depleted of Fc epsilon R+ T cells but not of Fc gamma R+ T cells contained neither rosette-inhibiting factors nor IgE-potentiating factors, suggesting that IgE-BFs were released by in vivo pre-activated Fc epsilon R+ T cells. With regard to circulating Fc epsilon R+ T cells determined by E-Mab, they were significantly higher in asthmatic patients with elevated serum IgE (0.77 +/- 0.15%) than in normal subjects (0.17 +/- 0.07%) in spite of a very small proportion of T cells bearing Fc epsilon R.
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology*; D002460:Cell Line; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D029584:Prostatic Secretory Proteins; D011961:Receptors, Fc / Q000276:immunology; D012397:Rosette Formation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D008222:Lymphokines; D029584:Prostatic Secretory Proteins; D011961:Receptors, Fc; C043076:beta-microseminoprotein; C013059:immunoglobulin-binding factors; D007073:Immunoglobulin E