Scientific publications
Specific IgG subclasses in pollinosis
García BE, Sanz ML, Diéguez I, de las Marinas MD, Oehling A.
We studied IgG subclasses in pollinosis in order to determine the possible immunopathological role of these antibodies, especially antigen-specific IgG4.
The selection of pollinosic patients allowed us to observe the influence natural antigenic exposure exerts upon antibodies. On the other hand, we intended to study the possible modifications immunotherapy produces on IgG subclasses. For this purpose, we selected 266 patients who were classified into the following groups: Group I, 65 patients without immunotherapy, 35 of whom were studied during the pollen season and 30 outside the pollen season; Group II, 40 nonpollinosic patients with hypersensitization to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus were taken as atopic controls; Group III, 161 pollinosic patients with from 3 to 42 months of immunotherapy. For every patient, IgG1, IgG2 and IgG3 against Phleum pratense were determined by means of ELAST (Leti), and IgG4 against the same allergen by means of the ELISA technique developed by us.
Our results confirm, first, that untreated pollinosic patients present higher concentrations of IgG4 against Phleum than nonpollinosic patients, and second, that immunotherapy produces significant modifications in the production of antigen-specific IgG.
CITATION J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 1992 Nov-Dec;2(6):300-6