ESTABLISHMENT OF HUMAN IGE SYSTEM IN SEVERE COMBINED IMMUNODEFICIENT MICE WITH PERIPHERAL-BLOOD MONONUCLEAR-CELLS FROM ASTHMATIC-CHILDREN

The frequency of allergic diseases, such as asthma, has increased rapi dly doting the past decade; however, the exact mechanisms have not bee n established. In this study we tried to establish an in vivo system t o investigate immune regulation of allergic diseases by using severe c ombined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell s isolated from asthmatic children or normal adults were injected into peritoneal cavities of SCID mice. Human IgG, IgA, IgM, and IgE could be detected in SCID mice reconstituted with human PBMCs (SCID-PBL-hu m ice) 3 weeks later. Moreover the mice injected with peripheral blood m ononuclear cells from asthmatic children had much higher IgE levels th an mice reconstituted with cells from normal adults. Phenotypic analys is of spleen cells and peritoneal exudate cells from SCID-PBL-hu mice demonstrated that human lymphocytes could survive in the peritoneal ca vity and spleen for several months. After in intraperitoneal immunizat ion mite-specific IgE antibodies could also be detected in SCID-PBL-hu mice. This study indicates that the human IgE system can be establish ed in SCID mice and that this model can be used to study the regulatio n of IgE production and the immunopathogenesis of human allergic disea se.