[Interleukin 4, total and allergen-specific immunoglobulin E antibodies in the blood of individuals with an atopic constitution].

Introduction: The recently published data suggest that atopic patients have an enhanced ability to produce IL-4, even in response to antigens other than common environmental allergens or helminthic components. This aberrant IL-4 production by Th cells may be one of the immune alterations encoded by nonMHC genes in the control of basal IgE level [1-7]. The existence of atopen-CD4+ T cell clones that have diverse repertoires might be relevant for aetiopathogenesis of atopic diseases [8-10].