House Dust Mite-Specific Ige, Igg1, and Igg4 Antibodies in Patients with Perennial Rhinitis

Abstract

Serum samples were obtained from patients with house dust mite–sensitive nasal allergies before and 6 months after immunotherapy, and the level of immunoglobulin (Ig)E, IgG1, and IgG4 antibodies in those sera was determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The present data showed that the mite-specific IgG4 antibodies increased in patients who responded well to immunotherapy but not in those who responded poorly. It was suggested from the present study that IgG4 antibodies seem to act as “blocking antibodies” to reduce the allergic reaction in the target organ, and that an increase of allergen-specific IgG4 antibodies following immunotherapy can be of clinical benefit to patients suffering from mite-specific nasal allergy.