Abstract
Allergen immunotherapy results in the production of allergen specific antibodies. We investigated whether antibody response in one or more of the four IgG subclasses may be correlated to the clinical improvement.
10 patients suffering from systemic reactions to bee stings were hyposensitized over 3 years. All patients tolerated a bee stingchallenge one, two, and 3 years after the start of treatment, and after bee venom immunotherapy was discontinued. Almost all of the IgG antibodies were restricted to IgG1 and IgG4 subclasses. Although both rose during treatment, IgG4 were maintained at high levels when immunotherapy was discontinued.
In conclusion, in serum from normal individuals IgG1 is the predominant main protective antibody. IgG4 subclass specific antibodies appear as a result of a repeat antigenic stimulation as in allergen immunotherapy. Our findings of persisting clinical protection and IgG4 predominant immune response support the protective role of IgG4 in allergic individuals undergoing a venom hyposensitization treatment.
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Urbanek, R., Kemeny, M. & Richards, D. SUBCLASS TYPING OF SPECIFIC IGG ANTIBODIES IN ALLERGEN IMMUNOTHERAPY. Pediatr Res 19, 1118 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198510000-00279
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198510000-00279