Differences in response to anti-IgE and to anti-IgG in basophils from patients with bronchial asthma.

Peripheral blood basophils of thirty-eight patients with bronchial asthma were examined for their reactivity to anti-IgE and anti-IgG antisera. Basophils of patients with serum IgE levels of more than 1001 i.u./ml reacted strongly to anti-IgE. Basophils of patients with serum IgE levels of less than 100 i.u./ml had a tendency to react more strongly to anti-IgG. An index (basophil ratio) was devised to compare the patient basophil reactivity to anti-IgE and anti-IgG. This basophil ratio was lower (IgE dominant) in the atopic cases which usually exhibited a high serum IgE level. Most cases with low serum IgE exhibited a high basophil ratio (IgG dominant). The basophils of seven intractable patients reacted more strongly to anti-IgG than to anti-IgE regardless of the serum IgE level.