Lymphocyte responsiveness to Dermatophagoides farinae extract in mite-sensitive patients: effect of immunotherapy on cellular proliferative response and specific immunoglobulin E antibody (RAST score)

Abstract Lymphocyte responsiveness in vitro and serum levels of specific IgE antibody to mite extracts ( Dermatophagoides farinae ) were evaluated in mite-sensitive asthmatic patients and in nonatopic individuals. Lymphocytes from untreated mite-sensitive patients (n = 16) responded to mite extracts with greater 3 H-thymidine uptake than those from nonatopic individuals (n = 20; p Candida albicans was not significantly affected in these patients. These results suggest that as far as mite allergy is concerned, there is some difference in the effect of immunotherapy between lymphocyte proliferative response and specific IgE antibody to mite allergen.