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Cellular immunity and IgE levels in atopic patients
Author(s) -
Frajman M.,
González L.,
Alvarado A.,
Yock J.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
allergy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.363
H-Index - 173
eISSN - 1398-9995
pISSN - 0105-4538
DOI - 10.1111/j.1398-9995.1987.tb02363.x
Subject(s) - immunology , immunoglobulin e , suppressor , atopy , allergy , cellular immunity , immunity , biology , medicine , immune system , antibody , cancer
Twenty young adult atopic patients and their matched controls were studied. Spontaneously generated and Con‐A‐induced suppressor T cell functions as well as Natural Killer (NK) activity against K‐562 target cells, measured in a short‐time 3H‐thvmidine uptake were evaluated suppressor T cell activity in the patients was more than 2 SD lower than that found in the controls and there was, contrary to expectation, a direct correlation between suppressor function and serum IgE levels. Atopic patients showed a statistically significant lower NK activity than normal controls when related to a low IL‐2 production, Both facts inversely correlated with the concentration of IgE in serum. We concluded that atopic patients' vulnerability to viral infections may be due to defective NK activity. Suppressor T cell function is abnormal in these patients. Both defects could be due to a faulty immunoregulatory helper function.