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Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Development of an in vitro model system for studying the interaction of Equus caballus IgE with its high-affinity receptor FcεRI
Published on: November 1, 2014
Molecular mechanisms of IgE regulation
1Division of Immunology, Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Abstract:
IgE antibody plays an important role in allergic diseases. IgE synthesis by B cells requires two signals. The first signal is delivered by the cytokines IL-4 or IL-13, which target the Cepsilon gene for switch recombination. The second signal is delivered by interaction of the B cell surface antigen CD40 with its ligand (CD40L) expressed on activated T cells. This activates deletional switch recombination. We review the molecular mechanisms of IL-4 and CD40 signaling that lead to IgE isotype switching and discuss the implications for intervening to abort or suppress the IgE antibody response.
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