Serum levels of IgE-binding factor (soluble CD23) in diseases associated with elevated IgE

Several in-vitro experiments suggest that the low affinity receptor for IgE (Fc epsilon RII) and its soluble fragment (IgE-binding factor, IgE-BF) are multi-functional molecules and more particularly that they are capable of regulating the synthesis of human IgE. In an attempt to examine the in-vivo significance of these in-vitro observations, the serum level of IgE-BF was measured in individuals with allergic or parasitic diseases, both associated with an increased production of IgE. IgE-BF was measured by a radioimmunoassay employing two mAbs against Fc epsilon RII (mAbER). We first compared 257 allergic subjects to 172 non-allergic controls matched for age and sex. Statistical analysis of the data, after logarithmic transformation of IgE-BF and IgE values, revealed that despite a great overlap, the allergic subjects had significantly higher levels of IgE-BF. The correlation between IgE and IgE-BF was very weak but significant. Allergic or non-allergic children had significantly higher IgE-BF levels than the corresponding groups of adults; moreover, the inverse correlation between age and IgE-BF levels was significant only in the children and not in the adults. The IgE-BF levels were not influenced by gender, by hyposensitization therapy or by treatment with local steroids. Subjects receiving systemic steroids had lower IgE-BF levels than untreated subjects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)