Production of a mouse/human chimeric IgE monoclonal antibody to the house dust mite allergen Der p 2 and its use for the absolute quantification of allergen-specific IgE.

A chimeric human IgE monoclonal antibody was developed against the house dust mite allergen Der p 2. This chimeric antibody (hIgE-Dp2A) was composed of the heavy-chain variable domains and light chains of the original murine monoclonal antibody retaining its binding characteristics, whereas the heavy-chain constant domains were exchanged with the human IgE heavy chain. The chimeric IgE expression level was IgE 600 IU/ml (1 IU = 2.4 ng/ml). The binding of the chimeric hIgE-Dp2A to mite extract was indistinguishable from that of the original mouse monoclonal antibody. Parallel dose-response curves were found when the binding of hIgE-Dp2A to mite extract and anti-IgE coupled to sepharose were compared. Binding levels were not identical; however, hIgE-Dp2A bound significantly better to the mite-extract sepharose. This result indicates that the commonly used anti-IgE on solid phase calibration systems may lead to an overestimation of the amount of allergen-specific IgE present in the serum sample. The less efficient binding of the detector anti-IgE in case of the anti-IgE sepharose is likely to be because of the occupation of epitopes of the IgE by the sepharose-bound anti-IgE. Dose-response curves of serial dilutions of patient samples were parallel with the hIgE-Dp2A dose-response curve, which indicates that hIgE-Dp2A behaves like natural IgE antibodies in binding to allergen coupled to solid phase. This antibody is well suited for use as a reference reagent in the RAST and enables the expression of the amount of allergen-specific IgE present in a patient sample in absolute amounts.