Antibody responses of mice to intragastric and parenterally administered aeroallergens.
Intragastric administration of aeroallergens (pollen extract)-primed mice to produce transient serum IgE antibody responses following subsequent parenteral stimulation while the same initial dose of extract, given parenterally, did not have this effect. In previously immunized animals, intragastric administration of pollen extract was found to enhance systemic antibody production. These observations indicate that exposure of gut-associated lymphoid tissue to aeroallergens can have a profound effect on subsequent reaginic antibody production. This procedure provides a useful model for studying IgE responses to allergens without the complication of an initial injection with adjuvant. A combination of parenteral immunization with oral administration may therefore offer a convenient immunotherapeutic manoeuvre for patients with seasonal rhinitis/asthma.