Naomi Yamashita

Changes of House Dust Mite-Specific IgE, IgG and IgG Subclass Antibodies during Immunotherapy in Patients with Perennial Rhinitis

House dust mite-specific IgE, IgG and IgG subclass antibody responses were evaluated during immunotherapy in perennial allergic rhinitis patients. It was found that IgG4 antibodies steadily increased during treatment, while IgG and IgG1 antibodies reached a plateau 6 months after the initiation of immunotherapy. IgE antibodies also increased during treatment. It was also found that the good clinical outcome was associated with the rate of increase of IgG4 antibodies, but not with IgG, IgG1 or IgE antibodies.

IgG1 Antibodies to House Dust Mite (Dermatophagoides farinae) and Late Asthmatic Response

Thirteen asthmatic patients sensitive to mite were challenged by inhalation of an extract of mites (Dermatophagoides farinae). Seven showed dual bronchial reactions and 5 showed isolated immediate responses. No patient showed an isolated late reaction. Six of seven patients with dual reaction had higher IgG1 antibodies than the 5 patients with isolated immediate reaction when examined before the challenge. A similar result was obtained in terms of levels of immune complex. IgE, IgG4 and total IgG antibodies were not predictive for late reaction. These results suggest that there is a close correlation of the presence of high IgG1 antibodies with a propensity to develop late asthmatic responses. The meaning of this observation is discussed.

Allergens of the house dust mite Dermatophagoides farinae. II. Immunological characterization of four allergenic molecules.

In a previous study, we detected four major allergens from the house dust mite extract prepared from the body of Dermatophagoides farinae, employing radioimmunoelectrophoresis. The four allergenic proteins were designated as Me1, Me2, Me3 and Me4. The most prevalent allergen was found to be Me1 and its molecular weight was determined to be 17,000 daltons. In this study, the molecular weight of the second prevalent allergen, Me2, was determined to be 27,000 daltons using the immunoblotting method. The molecular weights of the other two major allergens, Me3 and Me4, were also estimated.

Comparison of Guinea Pig IgE Antibodies Estimated by ELISA with Those Estimated by Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis

Guinea pig IgE antibodies to ovalbumin or mite were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the levels of IgE antibodies to mite were compared with titers of passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA). The results of ELISA were highly reproducible when the assays were done in the same microtiter plate and on the same day. The levels of IgE antibodies to mite determined by ELISA correlated well with the PCA titers (n = 29, r = 0.70, p less than 0.001). The measurement of IgE antibodies by ELISA saved much time in comparison with PCA which needs at least 7 days for getting results.