Differences in the changes of allergen-specific IgE serum levels and the chemiluminescence of peripheral blood phagocytes in patients with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis during the ragweed season

The objective of this study was to compare the changes in the values of all ergen-specific serum IgE levels and zymosan-induced whole blood chemilumine scence (CL) in 41 patients who had exclusively only ragweed allergy in the season of acute symptoms of disease in July, August and September. All pati ents had allergic rhinitis or rhinoconjunctivitis. Each patient was investi gated as a self-control. The ragweed-specific IgE levels were measured by e nzyme immunoassay (EIA). The luminol amplified zymosan-induced CL of whole human blood was detected. The allergen-specific serum IgE levels showed sli ght, but not significant, gradually increasing elevations during the whole season. On the other hand, significant increases were found in the values o f the basal but especially in the zymosan-stimulated CL of peripheral blood phagocytes during the acute phase of allergy. Both the basal and the zymos an-induced CL reflected significantly the activated state of the immune sys tem. These observations clearly show that there are well detectable signs o f the systemic activation of the immune system in allergic rhinoconjunctivi tis beside the local alterations. In addition, the measurements of the basa l and zymosan-induced CL of peripheral phagocytes could clearly reflect the clinical state of disease in vitro. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rig hts reserved.