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Postnatal development of respiratory mucosal immune function in the rat: regulation of IgE responses to inhaled allergen
Author(s) -
Nelson D.,
McMenamin C.,
Wilkes L.,
Holt P. G.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
pediatric allergy and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.269
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1399-3038
pISSN - 0905-6157
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-3038.1991.tb00203.x
Subject(s) - immunology , immunoglobulin e , medicine , allergen , immune system , isotype , antibody , immune tolerance , allergy , monoclonal antibody
Repeated exposure of immunocompetent adult rats to aerosolised allergen stimulates persistent IgG responses to the allergen, the magnitude of which varies as a function of genetic background. In contrast, exposed adult animals develop immunological tolerance in the IgE isotype, and are unable to produce allergen‐specific IgE antibody in response to subsequent parenteral immunization. Infant rats appear anergic to challenge with inhaled allergen either in relation to IgG synthesis or expression of tolerance in the IgE antibody class, and both these functions were subsequently acquired during the first week after weaning. Systemic immune responses were essentially normal in the infant animals, suggesting that the failure to ‘recognise’ inhaled antigen in the early postnatal period was due to a selective maturational defect in local respiratory mucosal immune function.