The expression of murine cutaneous late phase reaction requires both IgE antibodies and CD4 T cells.
BACKGROUND
Exposure of atopic patients to a specific allergen evokes an immediate response which is followed, in many cases, by a late phase reaction (LPR) some hours later. Here we have examined the immunological mechanisms required for the expression of cutaneous LPR in mice.


METHODS
BALB/c mice were immunized by i.p. injection of ovalbumin (OVA) and alum actively or by i.v. injection of anti-OVA IgE monoclonal antibody (mAb) passively. After challenge by intradermal injection of OVA into ears, the changes in ear thickness, the number of eosinophils, and the levels of IL-4 and IFN-gamma protein at the site of antigen challenge were examined.


RESULTS
Actively immunized mice developed a biphasic response at the site of OVA injection, while mice passively immunized with IgE anti-OVA mAb displayed a strong early response but no LPR. Cell transfer experiments using BALB/c nu/nu mice revealed that both OVA-specific IgE mAb and OVA-primed CD4 T cells were required to evoke LPR. Moreover, LPR was associated with increased levels of IL-4 production concomitant with reduced IFN-gamma production and was abolished by pretreatment with anti-IL-4 neutralizing mAb.


CONCLUSIONS
It is suggested that murine cutaneous LPR against OVA is a type 2 inflammatory response in which both IgE antibodies and CD4 T cells play an obligatory role.
Sawada
K
K
Immunology Research Laboratory, Hanno Research Center, Taiho Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, Saitama, Japan.
Nagai
H
H
Basaki
Y
Y
Yamaya
H
H
Ikizawa
K
K
Watanabe
M
M
Kojima
M
M
Matsuura
N
N
Kiniwa
M
M
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D004431:Ear, External; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000502:physiology*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D014611:Vaccination
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D010047:Ovalbumin