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Immunotherapy to deciduous tree pollens: specific IgE and IgG antibody patterns
C Möller1, S Dreborg, R Einarsson
1Department of Paediatrics, Universities of Umeå, Sweden.
Clinical Allergy
|November 1, 1987
Summary
Immunotherapy (IT) for birch pollinosis in children showed early increases and later decreases in IgE antibodies, with sustained IgG increases. The IgG:IgE ratio correlated with symptom improvement, indicating IT
Area of Science:
- Allergy and Immunology
- Pediatric Allergy
- Immunotherapy Research
Background:
- Birch pollinosis is a common allergic respiratory condition in children.
- Immunotherapy (IT) is a treatment option for allergic diseases, aiming to induce immune tolerance.
- Understanding the immunological changes during IT is crucial for optimizing treatment efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the dynamic changes in specific IgE and IgG antibody levels during and after 3 years of birch pollen immunotherapy in children.
- To explore the correlation between immunochemical findings and clinical symptom improvement.
- To assess the development of new IgE specificities during immunotherapy in different age groups.
Main Methods:
- Thirty-nine children with birch pollinosis received 3 years of immunotherapy with standardized birch pollen extract or a birch, alder, and hazel mixture.
- Serum levels of specific IgE and IgG antibodies against birch, alder, and oak pollen were measured.
- Crossed radioimmunoelectrophoresis was used to detect IgE specificities; symptom scores were recorded.
Main Results:
- Specific IgE antibody levels initially increased then decreased below baseline; specific IgG antibody levels increased and remained elevated throughout IT.
- The ratio of birch-specific IgG to IgE antibodies after 1.5 and 2.5 years correlated significantly with subsequent season symptom scores.
- New IgE specificities developed in 60% of children under 13, but these did not correlate with clinical implications.
Conclusions:
- Birch pollen immunotherapy induces significant changes in allergen-specific antibody profiles, characterized by transient IgE increases and sustained IgG elevation.
- The IgG:IgE ratio serves as a potential biomarker for predicting clinical outcomes in pediatric birch pollinosis IT.
- Development of new IgE specificities in younger children during IT appears to be a common phenomenon without apparent clinical relevance.