Immunoglobulin isotypes in childhood asthma

Abstract

Immunoglobulin isotypes (IgG, IgA, IgM, IgD, IgE) in serum were investigated in 64 Libyan children with mild to moderately severe asthma (age: 1-12 years; sex: 39 males, 25 females) (Group A) and in 57 healthy Libyan children (age: 1-12 years; sex: 30 males, 27 females (Group B). The patients were classified according to age into three groups (A1: 1-3 years; A2: > 3-5 years; A3: > 5-12 years); according to disease activity into two groups (AA: active disease; NA: inactive disease); and according to age plus disease activity into six groups (AA1, NA1; AA2, NA2; AA3, NA3). The healthy children were also divided according to age into three groups (B1: 1-3 years; B2: > 3-5 years; B3: > 5-12 years). IgG, IgA, IgM and IgD were measured by radial immunodiffusion method and IgE was estimated by enzyme immunoassay technique utilizing immunokits from bioMerieux, France. Serum levels of IgG, IgD and IgE were elevated significantly in patients compared to controls (A vs B: p < 0.05) while IgA and IgM levels were normal (p > 0.05). IgG and IgD levels were raised in A3 (p < 0.05), while IgD levels were raised in both A2 and A3 (p < 0.05) and IgE was elevated in all age groups (p < 0.05). However, IgG was elevated significantly in AA only, while IgD and IgE levels were high in both AA and NA (p < 0.05) and IgE was even considerably higher in AA compared to NA (p < 0.02). Further elevated levels were observed for IgG in AA3 only (p < 0.05), for IgD in NA2 (p < 0.01), AA3 (p < 0.01) and NA3 (p < 0.05) and IgE was much higher in patients with active disease than with inactive disease in all age groups (p < 0.05). The fact that asthmatic attack in majority of our patients can be explained as mediated through IgE and the possibilities that IgG and IgD may play roles as aetiopathogenetic or protective regulatory factors in childhood asthma are discussed.

Dose-dependent allergic responses to an extract of Penicillium chrysogenum in BALB/c mice

“…Cats, experimentally exposed to the common allergen Bermuda grass, had antigen-specific BALF IgA levels that were significantly increased after allergen sensitization (Norris et al, 2003). However, as we saw in this mice model, serum IgA levels in asthmatics were not different from controls (Mandic et al, 2004;Najam et al, 1999). Reports on BALF IgA levels in human allergic diseases (Drent et al, 1993;Peebles et al, 1995) support the idea of involvement of IgA in allergic asthma.…”

Immunoglobulin Isotypes, C3 – C4 Complement Components, Absolute Eosinophils and Allergen Specific IgE as Biomarkers Correlated to Preschool Wheeze Children

“…The present study's findings come in contradiction with "F.I.E. Najam et al", as the study shown a significant elevation of IgG in patients as compared to controls (P>0.005), therefore, they have also shown a significant elevation of IgE in patients as compared to controls (P< 0.001), IgA and IgM were within the normal ranges, and there were no significant differences were between controls and patients, in which both of these results come in agreement with the present study findings [18].…”

New insights into the enigma of immunoglobulin D

“…Elevation of serum IgD has been reported in patients with many allergic diseases, such as atopic diseases, allergic asthma, rhinitis, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, and antibiotic allergy (158, 159, 173, 190–196). Notably, among asthmatic children, such increases were mostly observed during first diagnosis and during disease attack (190, 194). There was evidence suggesting that allergen‐specific IgD and allergen‐specific IgE were similarly regulated during allergic responses (191).…”

“…There was evidence suggesting that allergen‐specific IgD and allergen‐specific IgE were similarly regulated during allergic responses (191). These findings have led to the postulation that the increase in IgD might represent an attempt of the host to block asthma and that IgD might be a protective regulatory factor (190, 194). Indeed, the ability to block IgE‐mediated responses has been documented for IgD (197).…”