Hagel I, Lynch N R, Pérez M, Di Prisco M C, López R, Rojas E
Institute of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Central University of Venezuela, Caracas.
Parasite Immunol. 1993 Jun;15(6):311-5. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3024.1993.tb00615.x.
Infection by helminthic parasites can cause the polyclonal stimulation of IgE synthesis, possibly via an enhanced production of interleukin-4 (IL-4), and this has been suggested to influence the allergic reactivity of tropical populations where these parasites are endemic. We evaluated a group of urban slum children in Caracas, Venezuela, with a high prevalence of helminthic infection (70.8%), to establish the relationship between the elevated IgE levels (3696 IU/ml) induced by these parasites and various aspects of the allergic response. Although the absolute levels of IL-4 detected in the sera of these children were low (0.65 +/- 0.20 ng/ml), a strong positive correlation (r = 0.78) was found between these and serum IgE. The cutaneous immediate hypersensitivity reactivity to extracts of common environmental allergens was relatively low (17.5% to house dust), although that to Ascaris extract was moderately high (49.4%). Significant inverse correlations were found between total IgE levels and the different skin test reaction diameters, including Ascaris. The positivity of Prausnitz-Kustner passive transfer tests was low in this group (34%), with a strong inverse correlation (r = -0.75) being found between this and total IgE levels. Significant inverse correlations were also found between total IgE levels and specific IgE antibody to environmental allergens, and to Ascaris antigen. We suggest that the polyclonal production of IgE stimulated by helminthic infection can suppress the allergic response to environmental and parasite allergens via both mast cell saturation and inhibition of specific IgE production.
蠕虫寄生虫感染可能通过增强白细胞介素-4（IL-4）的产生导致IgE合成的多克隆刺激，这被认为会影响这些寄生虫流行的热带地区人群的过敏反应性。我们评估了委内瑞拉加拉加斯一组城市贫民窟儿童，其蠕虫感染患病率很高（70.8%），以确定这些寄生虫诱导的IgE水平升高（3696 IU/ml）与过敏反应各方面之间的关系。尽管在这些儿童血清中检测到的IL-4绝对水平较低（0.65±0.20 ng/ml），但发现其与血清IgE之间存在强正相关（r = 0.78）。对常见环境过敏原提取物的皮肤即刻超敏反应性相对较低（对屋尘为17.5%），尽管对蛔虫提取物的反应性中等偏高（49.4%）。发现总IgE水平与不同皮肤试验反应直径（包括蛔虫）之间存在显著负相关。该组中普劳斯尼茨-屈斯特纳被动转移试验的阳性率较低（34%），且与总IgE水平之间存在强负相关（r = -0.75）。还发现总IgE水平与针对环境过敏原和蛔虫抗原的特异性IgE抗体之间存在显著负相关。我们认为，蠕虫感染刺激的IgE多克隆产生可通过肥大细胞饱和和抑制特异性IgE产生来抑制对环境和寄生虫过敏原的过敏反应。
