Immunological and in-vivo neurological studies on a benzoic acid-specific T cell-derived antigen-binding molecule from the serum of a toluene-sensitive patient.

T-cell-derived antigen-binding molecules (TABMs) specific for benzoic acid were isolated from the serum of a toluene-sensitive patient. The resulting purified TABMs (BA-TABMs) did not contain immunoglobulin G and were associated with the cytokine transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta). BA-TABMs bound to benzoic acid conjugated to human serum albumin (BA-HSA), as well as to other chemicals conjugated to human serum albumin-including dinitrophenol and oxazolone. The binding of BA-TABMs to the conjugated chemicals increased the level of detectable TGF-beta, and a similar effect was observed with the unconjugated chemicals, benzoic acid and 2,4-dinitrophenol glycine. The increase in TGF-beta was critically dependent on the ratio between BA-TABMs and the conjugated or unconjugated chemicals; the increase was optimum at intermediate concentrations and absent at low and high concentrations. The authors used an established animal model in vivo and demonstrated that TGF-beta enhanced the inflammatory response induced by the release of neuropeptides from sensory nerves; this enhancement occurred in a dose-dependent manner. The BA-TABMs also enhanced this neurogenic inflammatory response in a dose-dependent manner, and this effect was blocked by anti-TGF-beta antibody. When the authors added either BA-HSA or benzoic acid, the effect of BA-TABMs on neurogenic inflammation was further enhanced at intermediate concentrations of antigen and was unaltered or reduced at higher concentrations. TABMs specific to particular chemicals, as a result of their association with cytokines (e.g., TGF-beta), may be implicated in symptom production in chemically sensitive patients.