title: Mouse allergen-specific antibody responses in inner-city children with asthma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although mouse allergen exposure is common in inner-city homes, little is known about the relationships between exposure and humoral immune responses to mouse allergen in this population.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine relationships between mouse allergen exposure and allergen-specific IgE and IgG responses in inner-city children with asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Inner-city children with asthma underwent skin testing and venipuncture for determination of mouse allergen-specific IgE and IgG levels. Settled dust samples were collected from their homes for allergen analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study population (n = 112) was predominantly African American (92%) with a mean age of 4.4 years. The prevalence rate of mouse sensitization was 25% and did not consistently increase with increasing Mus m 1 levels. Instead, the prevalence rate was lowest among those exposed to <2 microg/g, increased among those exposed to 2-7.9 microg/g and 8-29.9 microg/g, and then decreased among participants exposed to >29.9 microg/g (14%, 20%, 40%, and 28%, respectively). Similarly, the prevalence rates of mouse allergen-specific IgG and IgG(4) did not increase across increasing exposure categories. Mouse allergen-specific IgG and IgG(4) were strongly associated with IgE sensitization (odds ratios [95% CI], 82.8 [20.5-334.4] and 50.4 [14.0-181.7], respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High-level exposure to mouse allergen in children may be associated with attenuated humoral responses of all isotypes rather than selective attenuation of IgE.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Protection against allergic sensitization by high-dose allergen exposure may not be mediated by preferential production of IgG over IgE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. ematsui@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Elizabeth C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.forename: Peyton A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Eggleston
authors.forename: Patrick N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Breysse
authors.forename: Cynthia S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Rand
authors.forename: Gregory B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Diette
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D015142:Baltimore / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice / Q000276:immunology*; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; C518791:Mus m 1 allergen, Mus musculus; D007073:Immunoglobulin E