Nasal provocation with allergen induces a secondary serum IgE antibody response.
The study of the IgE response to seasonal antigen exposure is limited by its occurrence once a year and by the variability of patient exposure to pollens. To overcome these problems, we investigated whether nasal challenge with antigen causes an increase in serum anti-ragweed IgE levels. We challenged individuals with ragweed allergy intranasally with nanogram quantities of ragweed antigen extract and measured their serum anti-ragweed IgE levels before and at weekly intervals after challenge. In a series of studies we found that there was a reproducible rise in antigen-specific serum IgE levels beginning the first week after challenge that plateaued at about 180% of baseline levels during the fourth week and remained elevated for 8 weeks. Not all individuals showed this response. The magnitude of the allergen-specific IgE response to nasal challenge appeared to be greater than the response to seasonal exposure. Treatment with intranasal beclomethasone before challenge did not affect the response. The results demonstrate a human in vivo model for the study of the antigen-specific secondary IgE response to allergen.
Naclerio
R M
RM
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Baltimore, Md, USA.
Adkinson
N F
NF
Moylan
B
B
Baroody
F M
FM
Proud
D
D
Kagey-Sobotka
A
A
Lichtenstein
L M
LM
Hamilton
R
R
D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000485:Allergens / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000941:Antigens / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001507:Beclomethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D009299:Nasal Provocation Tests; D010919:Placebos; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
D000485:Allergens; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D000941:Antigens; D010919:Placebos; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D001507:Beclomethasone