title: Comparable profiles of serum histamine and IgG4 levels in allergic beekeepers.
abstract: Growing evidence identifies histamine as a key player in allergic responses, but the reports relating serum histamine to tolerance are scarce and inconclusive. This study investigated the relationship of circulating histamine to the tolerant phenotype in allergic beekeepers. The results showed a positive correlation between the serum levels of histamine and specific immunoglobulin G4 (sIgG4) to honeybee venom, but not with total IgE or sIgE. Interestingly, both sIgG4 and histamine levels were negatively correlated with the time since the last bee sting. In contrast to total IgE and sIgE, serum sIgG4 and histamine levels followed comparable patterns, being higher in tolerant/recently stung individuals and lower in the least frequently stung subgroup. The data obtained in this pilot study associated, for the first time, serum histamine levels with allergen tolerance in allergic individuals and provided the lead for further considering the putative immunomodulatory properties of histamine in allergic responses.
authors: Allergy Unit 'D. Kalogeromitros', 2nd Department of Dermatology and Venereology, 'Attikon' General University Hospital, Medical School, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Chliva
authors: X
authors: X
authors: Aggelides
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Makris
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Katoulis
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Rigopoulos
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Tiligada
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D001514:Bee Venoms / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006632:Histamine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D007299:Insect Bites and Stings; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D001514:Bee Venoms; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D006632:Histamine
keywords: allergy; histamine; honey bee venom; immunoglobulin G4; tolerance