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Jurnal Humoral Cellular Immunity
Jurnal Humoral Cellular Immunity
ceetling decade. There were unselected patients who consulted an allergist and
agreed to take part in the study.
Patients were considered to be asthmatic if they gave a history of intermittent
wheezing and shortness of breath which resolved either spontaneously or on
treatment with bronchotlilators.” Many patients had additional objective evidence
of reversible airway obstruction on spirometry before and after inhalation of
orciprenaline. It was dif?icult to demarcate clearly all patients as either intrinsic
or extrinsic asthmatics; each patient was therefore classified into one of the
following five groups on the basis of the clinical features and results of skin
testing for immediate hypersensitivity and without knowledge of the other im-
munological findings. (I) Extrinsic: caused only by demonstrable allergens.
,Symptoms usually worse in spring and summer. All had positive skin tests.
(2) dlosfly extrimic: as in (1) plus some wheezing aft.er colds or for no apparent
reason. (3) ~xtri?lsic-iwtri~lsic: ev nly balanced (1) and (5). (4) J1ostZy i?l-
/e
trinsic: as in (5) plus some incrimination of extrinsic factors. (5) Intrinsic: n0
demonstrable extrinsic cause, but wheezing frequently associated with respiratory
infections, weather changes, emotion, exercise, often with a tendency for symp-
toms to be worse in winter. All had negative skin tests.
Most patients were receiving some form of drug therapy both prior to and
during the study. Fifty-one patients were receiving bronchodilators, either orally
or by inhalation. Twenty-seven were taking antihistamines; 18, disodium cromo-
glycate, 20 to HOmg. daily; 12, antibiotics, mostly benzathine penicillin; 3, brom-
hexine; 1, amitriptyline; 1, diazepam. Thirty-one patients had been on a course
of hyposensitizing injections, twice a week or more, for at least one month, with
graded antigen preparations (Commonwealth Serum Laboratories, CSL) .
The control values were established on normal people, together with a few
patients suffering from vascular or neurologic diseases. Control patients were
not receiving drug therapy. Xot all parameters were measured for each control
subject.
The mean age of the control population was 33.1 years, with age range and
distribution similar to those of the asthmatic group.
METHODS
Patients were skin-tested for immediate hypersensitivity responses to a wide range of
allergens and respiratory function assessed by spirometry.
lmmunoglobulin levels
Serum levels of immunoglobulins (Ig) G, A, M, and D were measured with Behringwerke
immunodiffusion plates. Standard solutions were obtained from Behringwerke.
Serum levels of IgE were measured both by the radioactive single radial diffusion method
described by Rowe6 and with the commercially available solid-phase radioimmunoassay
“Phadebas IgE Test” (Pharmacia, Uppsala). A high correlation was obtained between the two
methods (r = 0.9765, p < 0.001). lgE standard was from a batch of pooled human sera,
69/204, supplied by WHO.
Antibody responses
Patients were immunized with tetanus toxoid (CSL), 0.5 ml. subcutaneously, and typhoid
vaccine (CSL), 0.1 ml. subcutaneously, and blood was collected, usually at 2 weeks, but up to
154 Grove et al. J. ALLERGY CLIN. IMMUNOL.
MARCH 1975
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counts were performed. Results were calculated as disintegrations per culture tube per minute
and as disintegrations per million lymphocytes per minute. The results obtained from both
methods mere similar. Results reported here are expressed only as disintegrations per culture
per minute.
Statistical methods
Two-by-two table comparisons were made wit.h Fisher’s Exact Test.8 The significance of
differences in the means of two populations was calculated with Student’s t test.9 The values
for IgM, IgD, IgE, and spontaneous lymphocyte sII uptake followed a log-normal distribution.
For these parameters, t calculations were made with the use of logarithmically transformed
values but, for ease of interpretation, the tables show the geometric mean and standard
deviation calculated as follows :
Geometric mean = antilog of logarithmic mean
Standard deviation =
antilog (log mean + 1.96 log S.D.) - antilog (log mean - 1.96 log S.D.)
3.92
156 Grove et al. J. ALLERGY CLIN. IMMUNOL.
MARCH 1975
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HG. 2. Titers of antibody to tetanus toxoid before and after immunization. Each soLid
line represents 2 patients and each broken line 1 patient, with the dot on tha left being
the preimmunization titer and that on the right representing the postimmunimtion tRer.
Titer is log, of reciprocal of highest dilution at whii herrtaggtutination w& ~krved.
Mean serum levels of IgG and IgE were raised (Table I). Levels of IgA,
IgM, and IgD were normal.
Pamily history of atop%. Patienta who had a family history of a&ma, bay
fever, or atopic eczema had significantly higher (p < 0.05) serum IgG levels
VOLUME 55 Humoral and cellular immunity in asthma 157
NUMBER 3
(68 subjects, mean 1,499 + 315 mg. per 100 ml.) compared with those without
such a family history (22 subjects, mean 1,350 ? 229 mg. per 100 ml.). Patients
without such a history did not have significantly elevated levels when compared
with normal control subjects. The mean serum levels of the other immunoglobu-
lins were not related to such a history.
Past history of eczema. Only 3 patients were currently suffering from atopic
dermatitis, but serum IgE levels were significantly elevated (p < 0.02) in the
group with a positive past history (1’7 subjects, geometric mean 412 Ii. per milli-
liter, SD. 1,560 U. per milliliter) when compared with those without such a
history (73 subjects, geometric mean 199 U. per milliliter, SD. 320 TJ. per milli-
liter). Other immunoglobulin classes were not affected,
Asthma classification. When the mean serum levels of immunoglobulins G,
A, &I, and D were compared in the five classes of the asthma classification, no
significant differences were seen. Similarly, no significant differences were found
when the mean IgE levels were compared (Fig. 1) . Nine patients were classified
as intrinsic (geometric mean IgE 202 U. per milliliter, SD. 950 U. per milliliter),
17 as mostly intrinsic (239, 590), 14 as intrinsic-extrinsic (176, 305), 31 as
mostly extrinsic (222, 370), and 20 as extrinsic (270, 495).
Antibody responses
Antibody titers were measured before and after immunization in 74 asth-
matic patients. No hemagglutinating antibodies to tetanus toxoid were detectablr
in 13 of the patients (18 per cent) (Fig. 2). This result is highly significant
(p < 0.001, Fisher’s Exact Test) when compared with only one failure to make
158 Grove et al. J. ALLERGY CLIN. IMMUNOL.
MARCH 1975
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CONTROLS ASTHMATICS
FIG. 3. individual values for 3H thymidine uptake (disintegrations per minute per culture)
in fetal calf serum of asthmatic patients and control subiects.
I RMlCtOir I Nonmacton
PEA, autologous
No. 77 8
Mean 73,500 64,600
8.D. 37,100 37;400
PITA, FCS
NO. 77 8
Mean 52,700 44,200
S.1). 27,700 23,100
*I)isintegrations per culture per minute.
was seen with the other four antigens. No patient failed to respond to both DHS
skin testing and tetanus immunization.
lymphocyte tritiated thymidine uptake
PHA, autologous
WO. 60 13 S.S.$
Mean 68,100 62,400
SD. 37,100 37,400
I’HA, FCS
NO. 57 13 < 0.05
Mean 54,500 36,400
R.D. 28,800 14,500
9L.pontaneous
SO. 54 I1 < 0.01
Geometric meau 400 238
SD. 225 240
*Disintegrations per culture per minute.
tProbability by Student’s t test.
#;Y.S. : not siguificant.
stimulation of the rcaginic system. This system may have evolved for other
reasons--perhaps, for example, defense against helminth infestation.“” Iteaginic
antibodies can bc induced in almost every individual under the appropriate cir-
(2U**sta~*(ys,l:i. Zb-‘+O
The factors that determine these circumstances may be higher
intrinsic activit>T of the reaginic system or relative inefficiency of the other hu-
moral or cellular immune mechanisms. These two systems may each he subject
to gcnctie influences. The great range ill sevt4t.y of clinical asthma may similarly
rctlect the interaction of these factors. There may be many varieties of immuno-
logic deficiency that have, as their common response, a clinical presentation as
one of the atopic diseases.
\vc wish to thank Mr. M. O’Halloran for statistical advice.
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VOLUME 55 Humoral and cellular immunity in asthma 163
NUMBER 3
Select the ONE best answer for the following question from the Allergy
Foundation of America Self-Assessment Program:
The correct answer and bibliographic reference will be found on page 194 of
this Journal.