Flow-cytometric analysis of human basophil degranulation. III. Degranulation induced by allergens and antibodies in hay fever and bee venom allergic patients.

Human basophil degranulation responses to grass pollen and whole bee venom as allergens and to anti-IgE and anti-IgG4 as antibodies in hay fever and bee venom allergic patients were assessed using a flow-cytometric system. The concordance of basophil degranulation with skin tests and RAST assays reached more than 90%. These allergens and antibodies could degranulate basophils in a dose-dependent manner; however, there was a wide variation in the response of basophils obtained from different individuals. Moreover, a significant correlation was observed between the degree of degranulation by allergens and anti-IgE, or by allergens and anti-IgG4, but this was not the case between serum IgE concentrations and basophil response to anti-IgE. These data suggest that 'releasability' of basophils upon challenge by allergens and antibodies is also an important parameter in determining the degree of hypersensitivity in each subject.