Serum Fcεrii Receptor (SCD23) as an Evaluating Factor for Grass Pollen Immunotherapy

Abstract

CD23 is a protein on the surface of certain hemopoietic cells and it is considered to be the low affinity receptor for immunoglobulin IgE, (FcεRll/CD23). The regulation of the expression of CD23 depends on the type of cell on which it is found. Like most of the FcR receptors, it is released in a soluble form (sCD23) in the extracellular fluid. This form is found in increased levels in the serum of allergic patients and in neoplastic diseases. We studied total IgE and sCD23 in the serum of 30 allergic patients undergoing immunotherapy, 15 allergic patients treated only symptomatically for grass pollen (GP) allergy, 15 healthy and subjects. We found that the mean values of total IgE and sCD23 after the course of hyposensitization were decreased compared to those before treatment as well as to those GP allergic patients under conventional therapy and to healthy adults. However, only the CD23 decrease was statistically significant. Therefore, we speculate that determination of sCD23 may be useful for (a) the general evaluation of allergic patients and (b) the immunological monitoring of patients under immunotherapy.

Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness in Adults with Seasonal and Perennial Rhinitis: Is There a Link for Asthma and Rhinitis?

“…Allergic rhinitis is associated with inflammation ofthe nasal mucosa, characterized by the presence of basophilic cells and eosinophils, tissue eosinophilia, increase in mucosal Langherans cells, T -lymphocyte accumulation and activation, upregulation of leukocyte endothelial adhesion molecules on the vascular endothelium and epithelial activation (12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18).…”