title: Tracing antigen signatures in the human IgE repertoire.
abstract: Allergen recognition by IgE antibodies is a key event in allergic inflammation. In this study, the IgE IGHV repertoires of individuals with allergy to the major birch pollen allergen, Bet v 1, were analyzed over a four years period of allergen exposure by RT-PCR and sequencing of cDNA. Approximately half of the IgE transcripts represented non-redundant sequences, which belonged to seventeen different IGHV genes. Most variable regions contained somatic mutations but also non-mutated sequences were identified. There was no evidence for relevant increases of somatic mutations over time of allergen exposure. Highly similar IgE variable regions were found after four years of allergen exposure in the same and in genetically non-related individuals. Our results indicate that allergens select and shape a limited number of similar IgE variable regions in the human IgE repertoire.
authors.affiliation: Christian Doppler Laboratory for Allergy Research, Division of Immunopathology, Department of Pathophysiology, Center of Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Marth
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Novatchkova
authors.forename: Margarete
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Focke-Tejkl
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jenisch
authors.forename: Siegfried
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jäger
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kabelitz
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valenta
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D052179:Antigens, Plant; D001483:Base Sequence; D029662:Betula / Q000276:immunology; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D050438:Genes, Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000235:genetics*; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology; D011852:Radioallergosorbent Test; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D052179:Antigens, Plant; D017931:DNA Primers; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D007073:Immunoglobulin E