RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INTERFERON-GAMMA, INTERLEUKIN-4 AND IGE PRODUCTION OF LYMPHOCYTES FROM HENS EGG-SENSITIVE PATIENTS

We measured in vitro interferon-gamma, interleukin-4 and IgE productio n of peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated with ovalbumin. Int erferon-gamma in culture supernatants of ovalbumin-stimulated peripher al blood mononuclear cells from hen's egg-sensitive patients with atop ic dermatitis was significantly higher than that of healthy children o r hen's egg-sensitive patients with immediate symptoms. Furthermore, i n patients with atopic dermatitis who were sensitive to hen's egg and patients with immediate symptoms there was an inverse relationship bet ween interferon-gamma and IgE production (r = -0.535, p <0.05) and a s ignificant positive correlation was found between interleukin-4 and Ig E production (r = 0.802, p <0.05). For the above reasons, IgE synthesi s of ovalbumin-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells may be su ppressed by interferon-gamma in patients with atopic dermatitis. In co ntrast, in patients with immediate symptoms, interleukin-4 may play a major role in the pathogenesis of increased IgE production.