IgE production to ?-gal is accompanied by elevated levels of specific IgG1 antibodies and low amounts of IgE to blood group B.

ABSTRACT: IgE antibodies to gal-?-1,3-gal-?-1,4-GlcNAc (?-gal) can mediate a novel form of delayed anaphylaxis to red meat. Although IgG antibodies to ?-gal (anti-?-gal or anti-Gal) are widely expressed in humans, IgE anti-?-gal is not. We explored the relationship between the IgG and IgE responses to both ?-gal and the related blood group B antigen. Contradicting previous reports, antibodies to ?-gal were found to be significantly less abundant in individuals with blood group B or AB. Importantly, we established a connection between IgE and IgG responses to ?-gal: elevated titers of IgG anti-?-gal were found in IgE-positive subjects. In particular, proportionally more IgG1 anti-?-gal was found in IgE-positive subjects against a background of IgG2 production specific for ?-gal. Thus, two types of immune response to ?-gal epitopes can be distinguished: a 'typical' IgG2 response, presumably in response to gut bacteria, and an 'atypical', Th2-like response leading to IgG1 and IgE in addition to IgG2. These results suggest that IgE to a carbohydrate antigen can be formed (probably as part of a glycoprotein or glycolipid) even against a background of bacterial immune stimulation with essentially the same antigen.

SUBMITTER: Rispens T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3563531 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature