Detailed IgG and IgE antibody patterns during immunotherapy with honey bee venom.

Fourteen patients with a known honey bee venom (HBV) allergy were followed during 1-2 years of immunotherapy. HBV-specific IgG antibody levels increased in all patients but one. HBV-specific IgE antibodies decreased slightly during the first year of therapy. The ratio HBV-specific IgG-/IgE showed a marked increase during the first year for most of the patients, and a further increase during the second year in the four patients followed that long. As could be expected an increased radiostaining was found after 1 year of treatment to all important allergens in IgG CRIE, but after 2 years a sustained or increased radiostaining was obtained to phospholipase (PLA) alone. A decreased radiostaining might more easily be seen with weaker immunogens.