Premium
Immunoglobulin response to intrapulmonary immunization of asthmatics
Author(s) -
SCHUYLER M.,
LYONS C. R.,
MASTEN B.,
BICE D.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.297
H-Index - 133
eISSN - 1365-2567
pISSN - 0019-2805
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2567.1997.00234.x
Subject(s) - immunology , immunoglobulin e , medicine , antibody , antigen , immunization , bronchoalveolar lavage , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , lung , biology , biochemistry , in vitro
Atopic asthmatics, compared to non‐atopic individuals, exhibit an increased amount of serum antigen‐specific IgE and IgG 4 antibody directed toward many aeroallergens. We tested the hypothesis that this difference between atopics and non‐atopics extends to the response to intrapulmonary deposition of a neoantigen, keyhole limpets haemocyanin (KLH). We immunized nine atopic asthmatics and nine non‐atopic controls with 500 μ g KLH instilled into a subsegment of the lingula and examined serum anti‐KLH IgG 1 , IgG 2 , IgG 3 , IgG 4 , IgA 1 , IgA 2 and IgM and specific antibody production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells for 25 days. We also determined specific antibody in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in both the immunized and a non‐immunized lobe 11 days after immunization. We found specific serum antibody in all immunized subjects with no difference between atopics and normals in the amount or kinetics of anti‐KLH IgG 1 , IgG 2 , IgG 3 , IgA 1 , IgA 2 and IgM. However, the atopics exhibited more anti‐KLH IgG 4 than the normal controls. Specific anti‐KLH antibody‐producing cells were detected in peripheral blood in most subjects at day 8 to 12 after immunization with no difference between atopics and normals. Specific IgA 1 , IgA 2 , IgG 1 and IgM antibodies were detected in BALF from the immunized lobes but not from the non‐immunized lobes of both groups of subjects with no difference between atopics and normals. We conclude that atopic asthmatics respond to intrapulmonary KLH with more serum anti‐KLH IgG 4 than normal controls, consistent with a bias toward a Th2 response to intrapulmonary exposure to antigen.