Abstract
Serum IgG and IgE to isocyanate haptenized human serum albumin (HSA) were estimated by ELISA in 55 isocyanate workers who underwent isocyanate inhalation challenge studies in Montreal, Canada. The challenges were negative in 29 workers and positive in 26 workers. Isocyanate antibodies were estimated by ELISA index. The mean IgG indices were found to be significantly higher in the challenge-positive workers, and there was a similar trend for the IgE indices. Antibody specificities for toluene diisocyanate-HSA, diphenylmethane diisocyanate-HSA, and hexamethylene diisocyanate-HSA were determined by inhibition studies with a variety of isocyanate haptenized carriers. The other isocyanate substituted carriers were either noninhibitory or caused only partial inhibition as contrasted with the complete inhibition achieved by HSA conjugated to the isocyanate to which the worker was exposed. We interpret these specificity studies as indicating that the inhalation of isocyanates results in production of antibody that recognizes new antigenic determinants that develop from the coupling of isocyanates to homologous proteins.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 94-98 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology |
| Volume | 86 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jul 1990 |
Funding
Isocyanates are reactive industrial chemicals and have been described to result in both pulmonary and immunologic responses. The complexities and uncertainties of our knowledge about isocyanate-induced respiratory reactions have been reviewed. 1,2 Certainly, there have been studies of MDI and HDI workers who have immunologically mediated asthma or hypersensitivity pneumonitis? -5 In the area of TDI asthma, however, the proportion of workers with positive inhalation challenge who have specific IgE detectable by in vivo or in vitro means has been reported by one group of investigators to be <20%.6' 7 Another group of investigators reported a similar proportion (14%) of symptomatic workers having specific IgE but also From the Sections of Allergy-Immunologya nd Occupational Med-icine, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, II1., and *H6pital de Sacr6-Coeurd e Montr6al, Service de Pneumologie, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Supported by United States Public Health Services Grant AI 11403 and the Ernest S. Bazley Trust. Received for publication June 14, 1989. Revised Feb. 26, 1990. Accepted for publication March 15, 1990. Reprint requests: Leslie C. Grammer, MD, 303 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60611.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Immunology and Allergy
- Immunology
