INCREASED IGE-DEPENDENT CYTO-TOXICITY BY BLOOD MONONUCLEAR-CELLS OF ALLERGIC PATIENTS

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 43  (3) , 526-533
Abstract
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 14 healthy donors and 22 allergic patients were incubated with 51Cr-labeled chicken erythrocytes coated with an IgE myeloma protein or rabbit IgG antibodies. Mononuclear cells from patients with severe atopic disorders released a significantly greater percentage of 51Cr (P < 0.001) from IgE-coated target cells than mononuclear cells from healthy controls, patients with mild atopic disease, or patients with severe atopic disease taking oral prednisone. Specific 51Cr-release from IgE-coated target cells was directly correlated to the percentage of monocytes (latex-ingesting cells) with IgE Fc receptors (r = 0.87, P < 0.01) as detected by a rosette assay employing ox erythrocytes coated with IgE. Mononuclear cells from patients and normals released similar amounts of 51Cr from IgG-sensitized target cells. Monocyte depletion from mononuclear cell preparations from 2 severe atopic patients decreased 51Cr release from IgE-coated target cells to levels seen in healthy donors or patients with mild allergic disease. Evidently mononuclear cells from severely allergic patients have a significantly increased cytotoxicity toward IgE-coated target cells, and this cytotoxicity correlates highly with the percentage of monocytes with Fc receptors for IgE in these mononuclear cell preparations.