SOLID-PHASE RADIOIMMUNOASSAY FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF IGG ANTIBODIES SPECIFIC FOR THE HOUSE DUST MITE, DERMATOPHAGOIDES-FARINAE

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 52  (4) , 303-308
Abstract
The sera from 65 asthmatic patients were studied for the measurement of IgG antibodies specific to the house dust mite, D. farinae by solid-phase radioimmunoassay [SPRIA] using polystyrene tubes coated with the antigen extract. The SPRIA had about the same sensitivity as the conventional double antibody antigen-binding assay in the detection of mite-specific IgG antibodies. The mean value of IgG antibodies was 26.1 (.+-. 39.8) .mu.g/ml in patients hyposensitized with D. farinae, 23.9 (.+-. 29.3) .mu.g/ml in those hyposensitized with house dust (HD) and 21.6 (.+-. 35.6) .mu.g/ml in non-treated patients. A significant difference was detected between HD-treated patients and normals (P < 0.05). The levels of IgG antibody tended to increase with the increment of the maintenance dose of the D. farinae or HD used in immunotherapy. Eight patients were evaluated for their IgG antibody levels before and after immunotherapy. In 5 of them, IgG antibodies increased .apprx. 2- to 3-fold above the value before immunotherapy. Thus, the measurement of IgG antibodies by SPRIA may be clinically useful in evaluating the effectiveness of immunotherapy.