title: The prevalence of IgG1 and IgG4 autoantibodies to IgE in patients with allergic and non-allergic rhinitis.
abstract: In this study we have compared the levels of IgG1 and IgG4 autoantibodies to IgE in the sera of patients with allergic rhinitis and non-allergic rhinitis. A group of patients undergoing cosmetic nasal surgery, but who did not have rhinitis or any history of atopy, acted as control. The frequency of positive titres of IgG1 and/or IgG4 anti-IgE was 70% (14/20) in patients with allergic rhinitis, 50% (10/20) in patients with non-allergic rhinitis and 20% (4/20) in the control group. The mean titres of IgG1 anti-IgE and IgG4 anti-IgE were in the order allergic rhinitis > non-allergic rhinitis > controls. In the allergic rhinitis group levels of IgG1 anti-IgE (P = 0.0055) and IgG4 anti-IgE (P = 0.0028) were significantly higher than those found in the control group. The non-allergic rhinitis group also showed significantly higher levels of IgG1 anti-IgE (P = 0.0182) and IgG4 and anti-IgE (P = 0.0359) than the control group. The existence of IgG autoantibodies to IgE in both allergic and non-allergic rhinitis suggests a possible role for these antibodies in the disease process, particularly in patients whose symptoms are not due to an allergic trigger.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, University of Nottingham Medical School, UK.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shakib
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies; D002648:Child; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000276:immunology*; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007073:Immunoglobulin E