Evans R, Pence H, Kaplan H, Rocklin R E
J Clin Invest. 1976 May;57(5):1378-85. doi: 10.1172/JCI108406.
The effect of specific immunotherapy on several in vitro responses to ragweed antigen E has been evaluated in 17 atopic patients with ragweed hayfever. The methods employed were leukocyte histamine release, measurement of specific IgE anti-ragweed antibody and specific IgG anti-ragweed antibody, lymphocyte proliferation, and the production of two lymphocyte mediators (migration inhibitory factor and mitogenic factor). The duration of treatment and symptom improvement were also recorded for comparison. Immunotherapy was associated with a decrease in leukocyte sensitivity for histamine release to ragweed antigen E in a majority of the patients. In addition, there was a significant decrease in IgE anti-ragweed antibody and a significant increase in IgG anti-ragweed antibody. Immunotherapy also resulted in a significant decrease in lymphocyte responsiveness to ragweed antigen E as measured by proliferation and the production of mediators. Symptomatic improvement was best correlated with the presence of IgG anti-ragweed antibody responses. The production of this antibody was also associated with a decrease in lymphocyte responsiveness. The results of this study indicate that specific immunotherapy in ragweed-sensitive patients induces alterations in immunologic reactivity to ragweed antigen in vitro. This response is antigen specific, includes elements of both humoral and cellular immunity, and may account for the clinical improvement that is often observed in patients who undergo this form of therapy.
在17例豚草花粉热特应性患者中评估了特异性免疫疗法对几种体外豚草抗原E反应的影响。所采用的方法包括白细胞组胺释放、特异性IgE抗豚草抗体和特异性IgG抗豚草抗体的测定、淋巴细胞增殖以及两种淋巴细胞介质（迁移抑制因子和促有丝分裂因子）的产生。还记录了治疗持续时间和症状改善情况以作比较。在大多数患者中，免疫疗法与白细胞对豚草抗原E组胺释放的敏感性降低有关。此外，抗豚草IgE抗体显著减少，抗豚草IgG抗体显著增加。通过增殖和介质产生来衡量，免疫疗法还导致淋巴细胞对豚草抗原E的反应性显著降低。症状改善与抗豚草IgG抗体反应的存在最相关。这种抗体的产生也与淋巴细胞反应性降低有关。本研究结果表明，豚草敏感患者的特异性免疫疗法可在体外诱导对豚草抗原的免疫反应性改变。这种反应是抗原特异性的，包括体液免疫和细胞免疫成分，可能解释了接受这种治疗形式的患者中经常观察到的临床改善情况。
