[IgE and IgG antibody response in patients with type I allergy to birch pollen]

IgE and IgG antibody responses to birch pollen were investigated in sera derived from patients with type I allergy to birch pollen by means of immunoblotting. 56/58 patient sera contained IgE antibodies to a 17 kD pollen protein, recently designated as Bet v 1. In 33/58 patient sera no evidence was obtained for IgE antibodies to other pollen proteins than Bet v 1. However, in 25/58 sera, IgE antibodies reacting with 11 different allergens of 13, 15, 18, 27, 29, 32, 36, 39, 44, 57, 68 kD with an individual prevalence ranging from 1.7% to 17.2% were identified. All these IgE-binding proteins were also recognized by patients IgG. IgG responses to Bet v 1 were rather weak or lacking entirely, whereas in the case of the minor allergens pronounced IgG responses were observed. Samples from patients undergoing hyposensitization therapy showed an induction of anti-Bet v 1 IgG and a decrease in anti-Bet v 1 IgE upon treatment. These changes in antibody profiles to Bet v 1 did not correlate with the clinical benefit of the hyposensitization therapy.