Allergy.  1994 Jun;14(2):218-226.

Prevalence and characteristics of anti-IgE autoantibodies in childhood atopic asthma and dermatitis

• Lee SY
• Kim DS
• Lee KY
• Kim KE
• Jeoung BJ

Abstract

The relative concentrations of IgG class anti-IgG autoantibody(anti-IgE) and IgG class anti-IgG/IgE immune complex(IgG/IgE IC) were measured by Avidin-Biotin ELISA method in children with .atopic asthma, rhinitis or dermatitis and nonatopic controls. The study subjects were divided into four groups; children with atopic dermatitis only(Group I, N=10), with atopic asthma and/or allergic rhinitis(Group II, N=22), with Atopic dermatitis and asthma and/or rhnitis(Group Ill, N=9) and nonatopic controls(Group IV, N=9). The positive rates of anti-IgE in atopic subjects and nonatopics were 78% and 89%, respectively. The concentration of IgG4 anti -IgE was relatively higher than IgG1 anti-IgE in majority of subjects. There was no significant difference in the positive rate of IgG/IgE IC between atopics and nonatopics. In the IgG/IgE ICs, IgG4 subclass was most commonly found, and second was IgG1 subclass. The concentration of anti-IgE was significantly correlated with that of IgG/IgE IC, but there were no significant correlations between level of total IgE and anti-IgE or IgG/IgE IC. In the sera of fourty-seven per cent of subjects with low IgE(IgE<100 IU/ ml), IgG/IgE IC was also positive and their concentrations were as high as those of high IgE(IgE>250 IU/ml) subjests. In conclusion, the positive rates of anti-IgE and IgG/IgE IC are not significantly different among study groups(atopic/non-atopic, respiratory disease/dermatitis), and the majority of anti-IgE were IgG4 and IgG1 subclasses. The fact that IgG/IgE IC was also detected in half of the subjects with low IgE is helpful to explain the clinical and pathogenic aspects of low IgE atopic asthma and dermatitis.

MeSH Terms

Asthma*
Autoantibodies*
Child
Dermatitis*
Dermatitis, Atopic
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Humans
Immunoglobulin E
Immunoglobulin G
Prevalence*
Rhinitis
Autoantibodies
Immunoglobulin E
Immunoglobulin G