Immune complexes IgE/IgG in airborne allergy: increase during pollen season

In the present study we addressed the question of IgE/IgG immune complex serum level in 92 patients with respiratory allergy in relation to their clinical status. Twenty patients with allergy to insect stings and 22 healthy volunteers were also investigated. IgE/IgG immune complexes and IgG anti-IgE antibodies were estimated using double antibody solid-phase immunoassays in IgG serum fractions isolated by protein A affinity chromatography or in fractions obtained by Sephacryl S-300 gel filtration. Three people (14%) from the control group, two patients (10%) with insect allergy and 41 patients (45%) from the group with airborne allergy exhibited an increased serum level of IgE/IgG immune complexes (chi2, p <0.05). IgG anti-IgE serum level was also significantly higher in the examined group of patients with airborne allergy than in the control group. None of the factors analyzed, including the kind of allergic disease, the type of inhalant allergen (pollen or house dust antigens), the severity of allergy judged from the frequency and intensity of symptoms for 1 year preceding blood sampling and the symptoms exhibited during blood sampling, showed a statistically significant relation to the level of IgE/IgG immune complexes or IgG anti-IgE, when the whole group of patients with respiratory allergy was analyzed. A distinct difference between patients investigated during and outside of the pollen season was found in patients with isolated pollen allergy. The latter exhibited an increase of IgE/IgG immune complexes (57% vs. 29%) significantly more often, which indicates the possible involvement of IgE/IgG immune complexes in the pathogenesis of pollen allergy.