Low-affinity but high-avidity interactions may offer an explanation for IgE-mediated allergen cross-reactivity.
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ABSTRACT: Background
Allergy is a global disease with overall frequencies of >20%. Symptoms vary from irritating local itching to life-threatening systemic anaphylaxis. Even though allergies are allergen-specific, there is a wide range of cross-reactivities (eg apple and latex) that remain largely unexplained. Given the abilities of low-affinity IgG antibodies to inhibit mast cells activation, here we elucidate the minimal affinity of IgE antibodies to induce type I hypersensitivity.Methods
Three mature (high-affinity) IgE antibodies recognizing three distinct epitopes on Fel d 1, the major cat allergen, were back-mutated to germline conformation, resulting in binding to Fel d 1 with low affinity. The ability of these IgE antibodies to activate mast cells in vitro and in vivo was tested.Results
We demonstrate that affinities as low as 10-7 M are sufficient to activate mast cells in vitro and drive allergic reactions in vivo. Low-affinity IgE antibodies are able to do so, since they bind allergens bivalently on the surface of mast cells, leading to high-avidity interactions.Conclusions
These results suggest that the underlying mechanism of allergen cross-reactivity may be low-affinity but high-avidity binding between IgE antibodies and cross-reactive allergen.
SUBMITTER: Chang X
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8361967 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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