Allergen-Specific IgE and Serum IgE: Early Immune Development Underlying Allergies

Serum IgE
A paradigm of immune development underlies allergy development and progression in early childhood. Briefly, the immune system of the fetus is maintained in a tolerogenic state, preventing adverse immune responses and rejection between the mother and fetus. Placental interleukin-10 (IL-10) suppresses the production of immune-potentiating inter-feron gamma (IFN-y) by fetal immune cells. IFN-y downregulates the production of pro-allergic cytokines, such as IL-4 and IL-13. (more…)

Endotoxins and Exotoxins

endotoxins and exotoxins
Exotoxins are noxious proteins secreted by many bacteria. These toxins are often heat-labile and thus can be heat-inactivated for use as vaccines to prevent toxigenic immunity to bacteria disease. Many bacteria produce more than one protein exotoxin, making vaccine development more difficult. (more…)

Antibodies in Food Sensitivity – IgG Antibody

antibody food sensitivity
It is common to find anti-food IgG antibodies circulating in blood, even in people who have no signs or history of adverse reactions to foods. In fact, some authorities think that an increase in anti-food IgG in some cases might be indicative of successful resolution of an IgE-mediated allergy. The subject of IgG-mediated food allergy is extremely complicated because of the nature of the antibody and the immunological reactions associated with it. The present knowledge about food allergy-associated IgG may be summarized as follows: (more…)