IgE biosynthesis and IgE-bearing cells in atopic and normal peripheral blood.

The authors investigated the number of IgE-bearing cells in atopic and normal peripheral blood as well as IgE produced in vitro by mononuclear cells. The significant correlation between IgE produced in vitro and IgE in plasma (r = 0.91, P less than 0.001) or the number of IgE-bearing cells (r = 0.44, P less than 0.03) was observed. The data suggest that increased plasma IgE level in atopic patients is due mainly to conditions favoring increased production of IgE. The catabolic rate of IgE did not seem to exert an important effect on plasma IgE level.