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Quantitative analysis of peripheral allergen‐specific B lymphocytes in asthma
Author(s) -
Burastero S. E.,
Fenoglio D.,
Crimi E.,
Brusasco V.,
Rossi G. A.
Publication year - 1994
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.1398-9995.1994.tb02280.x
Subject(s) - allergen , immunology , medicine , asthma , immunoglobulin e , inhalation , methacholine , bronchial hyperresponsiveness , allergy , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , antibody , respiratory disease , in vitro , lung , biology , biochemistry , anatomy
We have recently shown that the number of peripheral allergen‐specific T cells can, in part, predict, together with methacholine hyperresponsiveness, the bronchial response to inhaled allergen in asthmatic patients. This study was designed to explore the role of blood B cells committed to produce allergen‐specific IgE in asthma. Twenty‐three asthmatic patients sensitized to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and 11 control subjects were studied. Peripheral blood B cells, committed to produce allergen‐specific IgE, were enumerated by limiting dilution microcultures of Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV)‐transformed B cells. An allergen inhalation challenge was performed in all asthmatic subjects. No difference was found in the frequency of B cells committed to produce allergen‐specific IgE either between asthmatic patients and controls or between asthmatic patients with or without late‐phase bronchial response to allergen. No correlation was found between the frequency of B cells committed to produce allergen‐specific IgE and the bronchial response to the allergen inhalation challenge. We conclude that, in quantitative terms, peripheral allergen‐specific B cells are not as relevant as T cells to the development of the asthmatic response in the model of provoked asthma.