title: Effects of IL-4 and IL-13 on total and allergen specific IgE production by cultured PBMC from allergic patients determined with recombinant pollen allergens.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 have been shown to be potent switch factors for IgE synthesis in human B cells.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this study we investigated the effects of recombinant human IL-4 and IL-13 on total and allergen specific IgE synthesis by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from pollen allergic patients and healthy control individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from allergic patients were investigated for their capacity to produce allergen specific IgE in vitro. Total protein extracts from birch pollen and timothy grass pollen as well as purified recombinant birch pollen allergens, Bet v I, birch profilin (Bet v II) and recombinant timothy grass pollen allergens, Phl p I, Phl p II, and Phl p V were used to measure specific IgE-antibody synthesis in cell culture supernatants by IgE-immunoblot and ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PBMC obtained from allergic patients spontaneously secreted allergen specific IgE in the culture supernatants. Addition of Interleukin 4, Interleukin 13 and anti-CD40 antibody to the cultures alone or in combinations significantly induced total IgE production whereas allergen specific IgE production was not affected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that the peripheral blood of allergic individuals contains long lived allergen specific B cells which have already switched to IgE production and which are not sensitive to IL-4 and IL-13 treatment. These results may have implications on attempts to use cytokines or cytokine antagonists in therapy of Type I allergy.
authors.affiliation: Institute of General and Experimental Pathology, AKH, University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dolecek
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Steinberger
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Susani
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kraft
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valenta
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boltz-Nitulescu
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D016466:CHO Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006224:Cricetinae; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000097:blood*; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D018664:Interleukin-12; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E