Production of IgE antibody to Japanese cedar pollen allergen Cry j1 by short term culture of human peripheral blood lymphocytes

Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from a patient allergic to Japanese cedar pollens, were stimulated with IL-4, IL-13, CD40-Ligand and/or hydrocortisone in the presence of Epstein-Barr virus in 96-well round bottomed culture plates, and the secretion of IgE-class antibody against a Japanese cedar pollen allergen Cry j1 in the supernatants were examined. PBL cultured with IL-4, and IL-4 + CD40-Ligand showed the highest IgE secretion and the cultures were maintained for 30 days. However, we failed to expand the culture with high IgE secretion. It was suggested that patient's PBL stimulated with IL-4 were useful for short term IgE production to Cry j1.