Relationship between allergic status and specificity of IgG antibody to inhaled allergens: the grass pollen model

Abstract

Together with previous data, our results define a new type of humoral signature in the immune response to inhaled allergens. Allergic and healthy status differ not only in the presence or absence of specific IgE antibody but also in the preferential expression of distinct IgG specificities that are better correlated with clinical manifestations and are unrelated to subclass distribution.

Mechanisms of immunotherapy: IgG revisited

“…The authors reported a significant increase in a specific IgG fraction in miteallergic patients with different epitope specificities compared with healthy individuals. A similar finding has also been reported in grass pollen-allergic individuals, when it was shown that allergic and clinically unreactive states towards inhaled allergens were associated with different patterns of IgG antibody specificity and were unrelated to subclass expression [26]. Collectively, these data suggest that SIT-induced changes in antibody specificity are as likely to play a role in predicting and mediating clinical efficacy, as are changes in antibody titres.…”

“…For example, it has been reported that IgG antibodies from atopic individuals are directed towards different epitopes on the allergen compared with those derived from normal non-atopic individuals [25,26]. Duchateau et al [25] compared the epitope specificity of IgG antibodies directed towards the house dust mite allergen Der p 1 in mite-allergic individuals and healthy subjects.…”

Vaccination for birch pollen allergy: comparison of the affinities of specific immunoglobulins E, G1 and G4 measured by surface plasmon resonance

“…However, this has not been shown for birch allergens. When patients become asymptomatic after SIT, the antibody specificity seems to return to that expressed by non‐allergic individuals [18, 19].…”

Peanut sensitization during the first 5 yr of life is associated with elevated levels of peanut‐specific IgG

“…Peanut‐specific IgE antibodies develop early (1) and quantification seems to be useful in predicting peanut allergy, especially to the peanut component Ara h 2 (2, 3). Allergen‐specific IgG antibodies, on the other hand, have been proposed to prevent allergic reactions (4) but have also been proposed to be associated with atopy and allergic sensitization (5). Indeed, extended exposure of airborne allergens either naturally (cat allergen exposure, beekeepers, animal handlers) or during immunotherapy is associated with increasing IgG levels, and IgG4 in particular, indicating a role for IgG and IgG4 in tolerance or protection (6, 7).…”