ROLE OF IgG4 SUBCLASS IN CHILDHOOD ALLERGY

Raised Serum IgG4 Levels in Patients with Atopy and Filariasis: Application of an Automated Particle-Counting Immunoassay Using Monoclonal Antibody

“…Since the incidence of low IgG4 does not alone seem to account for the pre viously observed sex difference [21], we suspect that our results are related to the strict selection of patients on serological grounds whereas in previous studies randomized 'healthy' persons were investigated [21][22][23], which might cause bias from men prone to develop atopy. Moreover, in one of these previous randomized studies the observed sex difference in lgG4 was also accompanied by one in IgE [22], Our finding of raised IgG4 levels among patients considered atopic on serological grounds is in agree ment with previous data on both atopic adults and at opic children [28][29][30]. We also confirm the reports of very high IgG4 levels in patients with atopic dermati tis [31,32] and lymphatic filariasis [11] and we add an other parasitic disease, onchocerciasis, to the list of helminthic diseases besides schistosomiasis [10] show ing elevated lgG4.…”

Increased Levels of IgG4 Subclass in 5 Patients with Acquired Respiratory Disease

“…A selective increase in immunoglobulins of the IgG4 subclass has been reported in the end stage of patients suffering from melanoma [Daveau et al, 1977] and in patients with asthmatic diseases and atopic allergy [Gwynn et al, 1978;Stanworth and Smith, 1973;Berrens et al, 1977;Deveyet al, 1976;Vijay et al, 1978], In the latter groups, an association with high levels of IgE was observed.…”

Short-Term Sensitizing Antibodies in Bakers’ Asthma

“…Therefore, specific IgG4 is sometimes called 'blocking antibody' [13]. But specific IgG4 is also known as short-term sensitizing antibody, be cause it may act in a similar way as specific IgE [8,11,12,22,[26][27][28]. It has been shown that total amounts of IgG4 and specific IgG4 may be increased in type I re sponses.…”