IgE, IgG1, and IgG4 antibody responses to Blomia tropicalis in atopic patients

• Published in: Allergy (Copenhagen) Vol. 60; no. 3; pp. 401 - 406
• Main Authors: Pereira, E. A. L., Silva, D. A. O., Cunha‐Júnior, J. P., Almeida, K. C., Alves, R., Sung, S. J., Taketomi, E. A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Munksgaard International Publishers 01.03.2005; Blackwell; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Adult; Allergic diseases; allergic rhinitis; Allergies; Animals; Antigens - chemistry; Antigens - immunology; Asthma; Asthma - etiology; Biological and medical sciences; Blomia tropicalis; Case-Control Studies; Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus; Dust; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Humans; Hypersensitivity - immunology; Immunoblotting; immunoglobulin E; Immunoglobulin E - blood; Immunoglobulin G - blood; immunoglobulin G1; immunoglobulin G4; Immunoglobulins; Immunopathology; Medical sciences; Medical screening; Mites - immunology; Molecular Weight; Respiratory diseases; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial - complications; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial - immunology; Brazil; Human; Immunopathology; Allergy; Nose disease; Immune response; Rhinitis; Antibody; IgE; IgG4; IgG1; immunoglobulin G4; Atopy; Immunology; allergic rhinitis; Blomia tropicalis; immunoglobulin E; immunoglobulin G1; ENT disease; Blomia tropicalis
• ISSN: 0105-4538; 1398-9995
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1398-9995.2005.00738.x

Background:  Allergens from house dust mites (HDMs), Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Blomia tropicalis are clinically relevant in atopic respiratory diseases in tropical countries. Aims of the study:  To evaluate immunoglobulin (Ig)E, IgG1, and IgG4 antibody responses to B. tropicalis in Brazilian atopic patients. Methods:  About 110 patients with allergic rhinitis with/without asthma and 33 control subjects underwent skin prick testing (SPT) with HDM extracts, and their sera were tested for IgE and IgG subclass antibodies to D. pteronyssinus and B. tropicalis by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblotting. Results:  Most patients (56%) had positive SPT to B. tropicalis extract (B. tropicalis+ group), although 51% were reactive to both B. tropicalis and D. pteronyssinus and 6% were sensitized to B. tropicalis only. IgE‐ELISA detected 43%B. tropicalis positivity with high‐specific IgE levels in B. tropicalis+ patients. Specific IgG4 levels were higher in B. tropicalis+ than B. tropicalis− groups and correlated with specific IgE levels. The IgG1 levels to B. tropicalis were higher in patients than controls. The major allergenic B. tropicalis components recognized by B. tropicalis+ patient sera were the 54, 66, and 68 kDa proteins. The IgG4‐binding protein profiles closely resembled that of IgE. The IgG1 antibodies recognizing multiple B. tropicalis protein species were detected in sera of all three patient groups. Conclusions:  A large percentage of our allergic patients are B. tropicalis+. They are more frequently sensitized to high‐molecular weight (HMW) B. tropicalis components than the major low‐molecular weight (11–15 kDa) allergens detected in other studies. The results suggest that HMW B. tropicalis antigenic components are potential candidates for evaluating allergen exposure and sensitization, and for immunotherapy treatment.