In vitro studies of human reaginic allergy

Eureka! And other pleasures

At first one is very pleased at being invited to write a Prefatory Chapter, but as the delivery deadline draws closer one begins to think, "Oh my God! What on earth can I say that all but family members and few close friends will not find a great bore?" One solution is to write a scientific essay, but I concluded that that was a cop-out. I decided that perhaps the best tack to follow was to try to convey to the reader the personal characteristics I bring to my science and to other aspects of my professional career. The writing of this chapter has certainly convinced me that my particular background influenced what problems I chose to work on and how I approached their solution, but I hope that my results have a more ecumenical significance. There's been much written recently about how one's cultural background affects one's science, but I think that thesis can also be exaggerated. Science is a method of inquiry that by using certain guidelines permits rational individuals to observe Nature in a way that their findings will agree and have permanence. We shouldn't be diffident about defending that claim of objectivity.

IgE antibody responses against Japanese cedar pollen in the mouse

IgE antibody responses against Japanese cedar pollen in the mouse were investigated to develop a mouse model of human allergy for combinations of factors including pollen administration routes, elicitation antigens and inbred mouse strains. Daily short term inhalation of native pollen or intratracheal administration of pollen suspended in saline induced IgE antibody responses in DBA/2, BDF1 and Balb/c mice, but failed to induce any detectable responses in C57BL/6 and C57BL/10 mice. Intraperitoneal injection of pollen suspension also induced IgE antibody responses in DBA/2, BDF1 and Balb/c mice but not in C57BL/6 mice. IgE antibody responses against pollen described above were detected by passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) reactions using crude extract of pollen as an elicitation antigen. On the other hand, IgE antibodies specific for antigen Sugi basic protein (AgSBP), which is a major allergen of pollen in humans (Yasueda, H., Yui, Shimizu, T., and Shida, T., 1983. Isolation and partial characterization of the major allergen from Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) pollen. J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 71: 77-86), were also detected by PCA reactions using AgSBP in the sera from mice which received secondary or the tertiary stimulation by pollen. These results suggest that IgE antibody responses against Japanese cedar pollen in the mouse can be induced by airway sensitization and that the responses are genetically controlled by H-2-linked immune response genes. The results also suggest that not only IgE antibody responses specific for components other than AgSBP but also responses specific for AgSBP can be induced in the mouse by repeating appropriate sensitization by pollen.

Cell instability in basophil leukocytes of patients with chronic obstructive airway disease

The histamine release from basophils induced by hypo-osmolarity was investigated in 75 healthy persons and in 43 patients with chronic obstructive airway disease. Leukocyte suspensions were diluted with destilled water in cell/water ratio volumen of 1:1, 1:3, and 1:7. Basophils, sequentially treated with increasing amounts of water, show an activation of the release process. A statistically significant age-dependent hypo-osmolar histamine liberation could be demonstrated. Furthermore, a significant higher cell stability was found for the group of patients.

Asthma and urticaria induced by seminal plasma in a woman with IgE antibody and T-lymphocyte responsiveness to a seminal plasma antigen

A patient with asthma urticaria and angioedema induced by allergy to seminal plasma was examined at intervals for 10 years. Before treatment her anaphylactic susceptibility to seminal plasma was manifested by very strong prick-test responses, IgE antibody to an allergenic fraction of seminal plasma determined by RAST, and by antigen-induced histamine release from her blood leucocytes. The skin test and in vitro lymphocyte tests indicated concomitant delayed hypersensitivity to the same allergen. The patient's lymphocytes treated with seminal plasma allergen fraction showed much increased incorporation of thymidine, and also synthesis of a product (NIF) that inhibited migration of neutrophils from a normal donor. The allergen fraction of seminal plasma had about five components in the range of 20 000-40 000 daltons molecular weight; the major fraction binding IgE appeared to be a glycoprotein. The patient was successfully desensitized by injections of her husband's seminal plasma. Desensitization was not associated with persistent amounts of antigen-specific IgG antibodies.

Histamine release into tracheal lumen and bronchial reactivity. Effect of local allergen administration on histamine release and bronchial reactivity

The influence of tracheal lavage with an allergen on the airway response to bronchial challenge with histamine, acetylcholine, and ascaris extract was investigated in 36 dogs. High histamine concentrations were measured in the tracheal solution after lavage with allergen. This amine, released on the mucosal surface, was observed in only very small concentrations in the circulation. Airway response to acetylcholine inhalation was significantly increased after tracheal lavage with allergen. This hyperreactivity of the lower airways induced by tracheal lavage with an allergen suggests that a reflex mechanism is involved. After histamine inhalation a significantly larger antigen-induced histamine release to tracheal lumen was observed. No influence on airway response was found after tracheal lavage with H2O.

Histamine release into tracheal lumen and bronchial reactivity. The histamine liberation of proteolytic enzymes in the tracheal lumen in relation to the bronchomotoric reactivity

The influence of tracheal lavage in a restricted area, with a proteolytic enzyme (Pronase) on the bronchial response to challenge with ACH and AE was studied in 15 dogs. Histamine concentrations measured in the tracheal liquid after lavage with Pronase were smaller than the values after tracheal lavage with allergen. Airway response to ACH inhalation was significantly increased after tracheal lavage with Pronase. Effects of proteolytic enzymes and allergens on the tracheal wall are compared. Allergens and proteolytic enzymes evidence a different mode of action in increasing reactivity of peripheral airways.

Theory of equilibrium binding of a bivalent ligand to cell surface antibody: the effect of antibody heterogeneity on cross-linking

We investigate the equilibrium binding of symmetric bivalent ligands to a heterogeneous population of symmetric bivalent cell surface receptors. The receptors are heterogeneous in their binding affinities (equilibrium binding constants) for the ligand. For any distribution of receptor binding affinities we show how to calculate the total concentration of receptors that are cross-linked by the ligand, i.e., the concentration of cell surface aggregates composed of two or more receptors, as well as the concentration of any given aggregate. We show that certain qualitative properties of cross-linking which hold for homogeneous antibody populations fail to hold in the heterogeneous case. We use our results to interpret certain in vitro experiments in which synthetic bivalent haptens are used to trigger histamine release from basophils which have on their surface antibody specific for the hapten.

A model of cell activation and desensitization by surface immunoglobin: the case of histamine release from human basophils

We present a model for the control of immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated histamine release from human basophils. We suggest that there is a calcium gating factor which interacts with crosslinked IgE to form a short-lived open calcium channel. After formation of the channel the activated gating factor rapidly decays to an inactive form. It is the loss of the active gating factor which causes the basophil to desensitize nonspecifically. We propose that the crosslinked IgE molecules are deactivated by a mechanism, such as endocytosis or shedding, which is independent of the mechanism which inactivates the calcium gating factor. This loss of functional IgE leads to specific desensitization. The mathematical formulation of the model explains the relationship of specific and nonspecific desensitization to the amount of specific IgE on the basophil surface; explains why there are two types of antigen excess inhibition; explains the relationship between antigen excess inhibition and desensitization; explains why, for a fixed antigen concentration, increasing the concentration of cell surface IgE increases histamine release until an optimal concentration is reached, then decreases histamine release; predicts the effects that changing the external calcium will have on the dose response curve; and predicts that increasing the amount of specific IgE on the cell surface will cause the dose response curve to undergo a transition from a curve with a single maximum to a curve with two maxima.

Studies on histamine metabolism in allergen-induced asthma

The excretion of histamine (Hi) and it metabolite methyhistamine (MeHi) was determined in separated fractions of urine up to 12h after standardized allergen provocations in 18 adult patients with defined extrinsic bronchial asthma. The main histamine metabolite, methylimidazoleacetic acid (MeImAA), was measured in six of the patients. After positive provocations (decrease in FEV1 greater than 20%) the excretion of Hi was significantly increased during 3h and that of MeHi during 4h after challenge. Negative provocations (decrease in FEV1 less than 20%) were not followed by any changes in the excretion of Hi and MeHi. MeImAA excretion increased in five out of six patients after positive provocation. It was calculated that the increased excretion of Hi and its metabolites after a positive provocation corresponded to a release of about 1 mg histamine in the body or about 1 microgram/g lung tissue if all histamine was liberated in the lung. Pretreatment with two anti-allergic drugs, disodium cromoglycate and ICI 74.917, giving significant allergen protection, resulted in a smaller increase of the excretion of both Hi and MeHi, indicating an inhibition of histamine release in vivo.

Binding of antigen to surface Ig during in vitro hyposensitization of isolated rat mast cells

The mechanism of in vitro hyposensitization was examined in isolated rat mast cells. Surface distribution of immunoglobulin was examined by immunofluorescence technique. Hyposensitization could be ascribed neither to changes in the distribution of surface immunoglobulins nor to capping or shedding phenomena. The distribution of cell-bound antigen and the number of antigen-positive cells (patch-bearing cells) was not changed by hyposensitization. The binding of antigen to surface Ig was quantitated by I125-labelled antigen. In rats sensitized to two different antigens, hyposensitization of the mast cells with one of these inhibited the subsequent histamine release induced by either of the two antigens, whereas no changes were observed in the antigen binding capacity. The present investigation indicates that the mechanism of in vitro hyposensitization is the result of events secondary to the initial binding of antigen to the mast cell surface immunoglobulin.

In vitro histamine release from leukocytes in penicillin allergies

The definite diagnosis of Type I allergy against penicillin is very important. The in vivo tests used for this purpose may have some disadvantages for the patient. Among the in vitro tests used for the evidence and differential diagnosis of Type I allergy against penicillin, the determination of histamine release from leukocytes and the detection of IgE by the RAST test are the most promising. We have used the test of histamine release from leukocyte in this study of 18 cases, nine of whom had Type I hypersensitivity reactions to penicillin and comprised the study group, the rest were control cases. The per cent of histamine release in the control group was "zero" while in the study group it ranged from 3.9 to 51.7 per cent. The results indicate that the method used in this study is a sensitive and reliable method for the diagnosis of Type I penicillin allergies.

Immunoglobulin E antibodies to pollen allergens account for high percentages of total immunoglobulin E protein

The quantities of immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies to grass or ragweed allergens were measured by an immunoabsorption in the serums of patients sensitive to one of these allergens. IgE antibodies to grass or ragweed allergens accounted for means of 30 and 29 percent of the total IgE protein. After the ragweed pollination season, the levels of serum IgE antibodies to ragweed allergens rose dramatically and in postpollination serums they accounted for 39 percent of the total IgE protein with a range from 13 to 50 percent.

The interaction of IgE with rat basophilic leukemia cells. II. Quantitative aspects of the binding reaction

Previous studies indicated that cultured rat basophilic leukemia cells have surface receptors which bind IgE with high specificity. In this paper we describe some quantitative aspects of the phenomenon. The reaction mechanism appears to consist of a simple reversible binding reaction with k(1) = 9.6 x 10(4) M(-1) sec(-1) and k(-1) 1.6 x 10(-5) sec(-1) at 37 degrees C. The calculated K(A) is therefore 6 x 10(9) M(-1). The activation energy of binding was found to be 7.8 kcal/mol. The number of binding sites/cell varied between 3 x 10(5) to over 1 x 10(6). The binding was insensitive to pH's between 6-8 but at pH 3.0 complete dissociation of bound IgE occurred in approximately 1 min at 0 degrees C leaving the receptors for IgE intact. Ca(++) plus EDTA and Mg(++) plus EDTA produce a fairly marked reduction in binding capacity though these reagents alone produce much smaller effects.

Evidence for identity or close association of the Fc receptor of B lymphocytes and alloantigens determined by the Ir region of the H-2 complex

Immunoglobulin complexes, composed of heat-aggregated human Ig, were shown to bind to mouse B lymphocytes of a variety of strains, but not to either thymocytes or thymus-derived (T) lymphocytes under a variety of conditions. It was shown that this binding was not due to either natural human antibodies against mouse nor to nonspecific binding of human Ig by mouse lymphocytes. Such complexes were shown to bind to the same sites which bind mouse antibody-antigen complexes. This site is known as the Fc receptor. The binding of Ig complexes to mouse B lymphocytes was markedly inhibited by pretreatment of the lymphocytes with anti-H-2 antisera. A series of experiments indicated the specificity of this result, including the fact that this inhibition was shown not to be due to the artifact of shedding of H-2 antibody-antigen complexes, nor to nonspecific steric inhibition. The antibodies within anti-H-2 antisera which were responsible for this inhibition were specific for alloantigens associated with the Ir region of the H-2 complex (Ia antigens). Antiserum specific for these Ia antigens produced inhibition, whereas antisera specific for antigens determined by the K or D regions of the H-2 complex did not. Evidence was obtained using F(1) hybrid cells that at least some Ia antigens of both parental types are expressed on every B lymphocyte (i.e. codominant expression). These data indicate that the Fc receptor and a series of alloantigens controlled by the Ir region of the H-2 complex are identical or closely associated on the B-lymphocyte surface membrane. This observation may have implications for the mechanism of control of the immune response.

The interaction of IgE with rat basophilic leukemia cells. I. Evidence for specific binding of IgE

A rat basophilic leukemia cell line originally described by Eccleston et al. (3) has been successfully transplanted into eight Wistar strains and adapted to suspension cell culture without noticeable morphological changes. The cells deplete the reaginic activity of mouse and rat immune sera to an extent roughly equivalent to that reported for normal rat mast cells. Studies utilizing radioiodinated antilight-chain antibodies and radioiodinated partially purified rat IgE indicate that the cells bind IgE to their surface membrane with high specificity. Heating or mildly reducing the rat IgE destroyed its binding activity. The binding is unaffected by the presence or absence of Ca(++) and Mg(++), and is markedly inhibited by reaginic but not by normal rat or mouse serums. The affinity of these cells for human IgE, if present at all, is substantially lower than for rat IgE.

Surface IgE on human basophils during histamine release

The distribution of surface IgE on human basophils was studied using fluorescence microscopy and immunoferritin electronmicroscopy. Redistribution of the IgE was dose, time and temperature dependent and required divalent anti-IgE. Cells which can release histamine in vitro were indistinguishable in these respects from cells which cannot. The redistribution was unaffected by the presence or absence of Ca(++). No correlation between the conditions required for optimal histamine release and for redistribution was observed. At low doses, optimal histamine release occurred in the absence of, or before, redistribution. At higher doses redistribution occurred in the absence of histamine release. Antigen-induced histamine release was unaccompanied by gross redistribution of the surface IgE. Since both histamine release and redistribution require bridging of IgE on basophils it is concluded that only certain kinds of cross-linking of the IgE effectively stimulates these cells.

Seasonal changes in IgE antibodies and their relationship to IgG antibodies during immunotherapy for ragweed hay fever

Seasonal changes in IgE antibodies and their relationship to IgG antibodies were studied in 52 patients with ragweed hay fever and 10 normal controls. Allergic patients received either no immunotherapy, preseasonal immunotherapy, or high dose perennial immunotherapy with aqueous-mixed ragweed extract. Serums were collected before, during, just after, and 4 mo after the ragweed pollination season. IgE antibodies to ragweed antigen E (AgE) were measured using the radioallergosorbent test, and IgG antibodies were measured by radioimmunoprecipitation.IgE antibodies to AgE were elevated in all allergic patients, and rose during the ragweed pollination season. The magnitude of the rise in IgE antibody was a function of the preseasonal IgE antibody level. IgE antibody production in the treated groups was the same as in the untreated group when patients were matched on the basis of their preseasonal IgE antibody levels. Thus, we were not able to confirm previous reports that immunotherapy suppresses the seasonal rise in IgE antibodies. Furthermore, there was a close relationship between the levels of IgE and IgG antibodies in the high dose group. This finding is contrary to what one would expect were IgG antibodies acting to suppress the formation of IgE antibodies. Rather, it suggests that in certain patients either humoral immunological reactivity to ragweed antigens in the IgG and IgE classes is low to begin with or that this reactivity may wane after treatment with high doses of ragweed extract.

Naturally occurring human antiglobulins with specificity for E

Human sera have been examined for antibodies with specific reactivity for gammaE using the tanned cell hemagglutination test. Cells tanned with three different gammaE myeloma proteins provided a reproducible test system. Inhibition of agglutination reactions by gammaE proteins, but not by gammaG, gammaA, gammaM, or gammaD confirmed the specificity of these reactions. 8.5% of 304 serial serum samples obtained from miscellaneous hospitalized patients showed clear-cut anti-gamma-globulins with specificity for gammaE. In most of these instances no definite clinical history of concomitant allergic disorders could be obtained. 53% of 73 patients with well-established allergic disorders (hay fever, extrinsic asthma) showed serum anti-gamma-globulins with reactivity for gammaE. Some patients studied before and after desensitization to Bermuda grass allergen showed an increase in titer or a conversion from negative to positive reactions for anti-gammaE antibodies following several month courses of progressive desensitization. Gradient and gel filtration studies indicated that anti-gammaE globulins were 19S gammaM in all instances. No clear correlation was noted between quantitative serum gammaE levels and titer of anti-gammaE antibodies.19S serum fractions with anti-gammaE antibody activity did not release histamine from normal human peripheral blood leukocytes, whereas specific rabbit anti-gammaE antisera consistently induced leukocytic histamine release. Moreover, macroglobulin fractions with anti-gammaE activity did not block allergen-specific leukocyte histamine release induced by in vitro leukocyte challenge with allergens such as Bermuda grass and leukocytes from allergic donors. In some instances 19S human serum fractions with anti-gammaE activity appeared to potentiate histamine release when incubated concomitantly with specific allergen and leukocytes from allergic individuals.