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Updated: May 5, 2026
Single-cell Analysis of Immunophenotype and Cytokine Production in Peripheral Whole Blood via Mass Cytometry
Published on: June 26, 2018
Analysis of cytokine signaling in patients with extrinsic asthma and hyperimmunoglobulin E
R L Miller1, T M Eppinger, D McConnell
1Department of Medicine, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
Background:
Recent data suggest that the regulation of class switching to IgE by cytokines is mediated by STAT transcription factors. The induction of IgE by IL-4 and IL-13 occurs through the activation of the intracellular signal-transducing protein Stat6, whereas the inhibition of IgE class switching by interferon-y (IFN-gamma) occurs through the activation of Statl.
Objective:
We hypothesized that in extrinsic asthma or in cases of markedly elevated IgE (ie, hyperimmunoglobulin E [HIE]) increased levels of IgE may be associated with alterations in the cytokine levels or the activation of Stat6.
Methods:
PBMCs and sera from 8 patients with extrinsic asthma (mean IgE, 285+/-100 IU/mL), 3 patients with HIE (mean IgE, 7050+/-1122 IU/mL), and 14 nonatopic control subjects (mean IgE, 112+/-28 IU/mL) were analyzed.
Results:
The mean IL-4 level detected by ELISA was much greater in patients with HIE than control subjects (88.6+/-11.5 pg/mL vs 11.5+/-7.1 pg/mL, P = .005), and increased IL-4 levels among patients with both asthma and HIE correlated with the increased IgE levels. In contrast, IL-13 levels were not elevated. Levels of Stat6 protein present in PBMCs did not differ in the patients and control subjects. Examination of Stat6 DNA-binding activity demonstrated no activation of IL-4 signaling in patients with either HIE or acute asthma. Interestingly, evidence for the presence of B cells that have already switched to IgE was seen in PBMCs of several patients with asthma or HIE.
Conclusion:
These results indicate that (1) IgE production in asthma and HIE usually is associated with elevated levels of IL-4, but not IL-13, in the peripheral blood; (2) the increased sera IL-4 levels in asthma and HIE are not sufficient to induce Stat6 activation in PBMCs; and (3) evidence of switch recombination to epsilon may be detected in isolated cases of elevated IgE. This implies that high levels of IgE in these patients either results from B cells that have already undergone class switching, from Ig class switching that is localized to target tissues, or both.
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