Lack of systemic anaphylaxis and aeroallergen-induced airway plasma extravasation in allergic immunoglobulin-deficient mice.

Background: In Ig-deficient mice allergen challenge-induced pulmonary late phase inflammation is at least as pronounced as in wild-type animals. This study investigates immediate hypersensitivity responses in these mice.

Methods: To examine the acute plasma extravasation response in airway tissue, immunized Ig-deficient and wild-type mice and sham-immunized wild-type controls were subjected to 15 min ovalbumin aerosol challenge. 125I-albumin was injected (i.v.) 1 min prior to challenge. Immediately after challenge 131I-albumin was injected and the experiment was terminated. Plasma and trachea were analyzed for 125I and 131I, and the amount of extravasated plasma in the trachea was calculated. To study the development of systemic anaphylaxis immunized Ig-deficient and wild-type animals received intravenous allergen challenge followed by determination of mast cell responses and plasma histamine levels.

Results: Allergen aerosol-exposed immunized wild-type mice exhibited marked plasma extravasation in the trachea (pd0.01 vs. wild-type controls), but in the corresponding Ig-deficient mice there was no increased extravasation. Immunized Ig-deficient mice receiving intravenous allergen challenge were resistant to anaphylactic shock. By contrast, the wild-type animals developed systemic anaphylaxis, accompanied by plasma extravasation, mast cell degranulation, elevated plasma histamine and rapid death.

Conclusion: The present data are evidence that immunoglobulins are crucial for the development of immediate (type 1) responses. These findings together with our previous observations on late-phase pulmonary responses suggest that immediate hypersensitivity processes are unimportant for development of the late phase inflammation in the respiratory tract of mice.