title: Immunoglobulin response to intrapulmonary immunization of asthmatics.
abstract: Atopic asthmatics, compared to non-atopic individuals, exhibit an increased amount of serum antigen-specific IgE and IgG4 antibody directed toward many aeroallergens. We tested the hypothesis that this difference between atopics and non-atopics extends to the response to intrapulmonary deposition of a neoantigen, keyhole limpets haemocyanin (KLH). We immunized nine atopic asthmatics and nine non-atopic controls with 500 micrograms KLH instilled into a subsegment of the lingula and examined serum anti-KLH, IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgG4, IgA1, IgA2, and IgM and specific antibody production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells for 25 days. We also determined specific antibody in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in both the immunized and a non-immunized lobe 11 days after immunization. We found specific serum antibody in all immunized subjects with no difference between atopics and normals in the amount or kinetics of anti-KLH IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgA1, IgA2 and IgM. However, the atopics exhibited more anti-KLH IgG4 than the normal controls. Specific anti-KLH antibody-producing cells were detected in peripheral blood in most subjects at day 8 to 12 after immunization with no difference between atopics and normals. Specific IgA1, IgA2, IgG1 and IgM antibodies were detected in BALF from the immunized lobes but not from the non-immunized lobes of both groups of subjects with no difference between atopics and normals. We conclude that atopic asthmatics respond to intrapulmonary KLH with more serum anti-KLH IgG4 than normal controls, consistent with a bias toward a Th2 response to intrapulmonary exposure to antigen.
authors.affiliation: Albuquerque VA Medical Center, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Department of Medicine 87108, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schuyler
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Lyons
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Masten
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bice
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006433:Hemocyanins / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D008168:Lung; D008297:Male; D012882:Skin Tests
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D006433:Hemocyanins; C032808:keyhole-limpet hemocyanin