Beta-blocking autoantibodies in pediatric bronchial asthma.

We have used the inhibition of binding of a potent beta antagonist, iodohydroxybenzylpindolol, to canine lung-plasma membrane beta-adrenergic receptors as a test for beta-blocking autoantibodies in the sera of 376 mildly and severely asthmatic children. This binding inhibition assay, coupled with a variant test in which the binding assay was performed on selected sera (binding values below 2 SD from the mean) before and after immunodepletion of the sera (removal of IgG and IgA), permitted the conclusion that about 5% of the juvenile asthmatic population studied produce beta-blocking autoantibodies.