INDUCTION OF IGE-FC RECEPTOR (FC-EPSILON-R2/CD23) EXPRESSION ON LYMPHOCYTES FROM PATIENTS WITH MITE-ALLERGIC BRONCHIAL-ASTHMA BY MITE ALLERGEN

The present study was designed to clarify whether Fc-epsilon-R2 can be induced on lymphocytes of patients with bronchial asthma by stimulation with specific antigen. Expression of Fc-epsilon-R2 on freshly isolated lymphocytes (at 0 hour) was significantly higher in both patients with mite-allergic asthma and those with nonmite-atopic asthma than in healthy individuals. In addition, expression of Fc-epsilon-R2 on lymphocytes was still higher in patients during acute asthma. Marked induction of Fc-epsilon-R2 on lymphocytes was observed 48 hours or more after addition of mite-allergen in patients with mite-allergic asthma while no Fc-epsilon-R2 expression was induced in patients with nonmite-atopic asthma or healthy individuals. Induction of Fc-epsilon-R2 expression was not observed at 30 minutes, two hours, and five hours, which are equivalent in kinetics to immediate asthmatic response and late asthmatic response in allergen inhalational challenges.