We report the three-dimensional structure of the complex between the major respiratory grass pollen allergen Phl p 2 and its specific human IgE-derived Fab. The Phl p 2-specific human IgE Fab has been isolated from a combinatorial library constructed from lymphocytes of a pollen allergic patient. When the variable domains of the IgE Fab were grafted onto human IgG1, the resulting Ab (huMab2) in...

Several splice variants of IgE exist in human plasma, including a variant called IgE-tailpiece (IgE-tp) that differs from classical IgE by the replacement of two carboxy-terminal amino acids with eight novel residues that include an ultimate cysteine. To date, the role of the secreted IgE-tp isoform in human immunity is unknown. We show that levels of IgE-tp are raised in helminth-infected dono...

In human bronchial muscle preparations, nifedipine (3 microM) significantly inhibited the histamine, ACh and KCl contractions. However, the dihydropyridine did not modify the contractile responses induced by either leukotriene D4 (LTD4) or anti-human IgE (a-IgE). In human airways, SK&F 96365 (30 microM and 100 microM) markedly reduced the KCl and, at the higher concentration, LTD4 maximal contr...

The novel cytokine IL-31 and its receptor have been shown to play a central role in bridging the immune system with neurons, epithelial surfaces connective tissues. Although increasing evidence has demonstrated their inflammation, involvement expansion of distinct leukocyte subsets is not fully understood. Detailed analyses Il31-transgenic (Eμ-Lck) mice indicated that next induction pruritus sk...

IgG-mediated anaphylaxis occurs in mice and may contribute to human reactions to infused drugs. To distinguish IgE- from putative IgG-mediated human anaphylaxis, we developed blood markers for murine anaphylaxis and evaluated their human relevance. Both IgG- and IgE-mediated anaphylaxis were characterized by decreased basophil and monocyte percentages and an increased neutrophil percentage in m...