Immunology Today, volt 7, No. 4, 1986
-btters 8 Prabhakar,B.S.,Saegusa,J., Onodera,T. References et aL (1984) J. Immunol. 113, 28151 Coutinho, A., Forni, L., Holmberg, D. 2817 et aL (1984) Immunol Rev. 79, 151-168 9 Dighiero, G., Lymberi, P., Holmberg, D. 2 Hooijkaas, H., Benner, R., Pleasants, etal. (1985)1 ImmunoL 134, 765-771 J.R. et aL (1984) Cur. J. ImmunoL 14, 10 del Guercio, P., Poirier,M.-F. and 1127-1130 3 Pereira,P., Bandeira,A., Larsson,E.~L. Brugere, S. (1982) Cell. ImmunoL 72, 316-325 etal. (1985) 17th Miami Winter 11 del Guercio, P. and Katz, D.H. (1985) Symposium, February11-15, 1985 in Concepts in Immunopathology. III. 4 Dresser,D.W. (1978) Nature (London) .Immunoregulation (Cruse,J.M. and 272,480-483 Lewis, R.E.Jr, eds), S. Karger Publishers, 5 Guilbert, B., Dighiero, G. and Basel and New York Avrameas, S. (1982)J. ImmunoL 128, 12 del Guercio, P. and Katz, D.H. Critical 2779-2787 Rev. ImmunoL (Atassi, M.Z., ed.), 6 Dighiero, G., Guilbert, B. and CRC Press,Inc., Boca Raton, Florida, in Avrameas, S. (1982)1 Immunol. 128, press 2788-2792 7 Dighiero, G., Lymberi,J.C., Mazie, S. et 13 del Guercio, P. and Katz, D.H. Fed. Proc. in press a/. (1983)J. Immunol. 131,2267-2272
Cigarette smoking and the antibody responseto inhaled antigens
98
Sir, In their article on Immunity in the Respiratory Tract (Immunol. Today, 1985, 6, 313-314), Christian Bergmann, Robert Clancy and Klaus Petzoldt mention the importance of epidemiological studies in the analysis of the pathogenesis of human respiratory diseases and emphasize the requirement for further research on the effects of various exogenous factors on mucosal immunity. In this context we have examined the effect of cigarette smoking on the distribution of the antibody response to the inhaled antigens associated with extrinsic allergic alveolitis (EAA). Populations at risk were identified (farmers, n= 116; pigeon breeders, n=521; factory workers exposed to air humidifier contaminants, n=26) and the relevant antigens were isolated and purified 1'2. Serum IgG antibody to these antigens was found significantly more often in nonsmokers than smokers (46.1% and 10.1%, respectively, chi squared = 44.8, P
-btters 8 Prabhakar,B.S.,Saegusa,J., Onodera,T. References et aL (1984) J. Immunol. 113, 28151 Coutinho, A., Forni, L., Holmberg, D. 2817 et aL (1984) Immunol Rev. 79, 151-168 9 Dighiero, G., Lymberi, P., Holmberg, D. 2 Hooijkaas, H., Benner, R., Pleasants, etal. (1985)1 ImmunoL 134, 765-771 J.R. et aL (1984) Cur. J. ImmunoL 14, 10 del Guercio, P., Poirier,M.-F. and 1127-1130 3 Pereira,P., Bandeira,A., Larsson,E.~L. Brugere, S. (1982) Cell. ImmunoL 72, 316-325 etal. (1985) 17th Miami Winter 11 del Guercio, P. and Katz, D.H. (1985) Symposium, February11-15, 1985 in Concepts in Immunopathology. III. 4 Dresser,D.W. (1978) Nature (London) .Immunoregulation (Cruse,J.M. and 272,480-483 Lewis, R.E.Jr, eds), S. Karger Publishers, 5 Guilbert, B., Dighiero, G. and Basel and New York Avrameas, S. (1982)J. ImmunoL 128, 12 del Guercio, P. and Katz, D.H. Critical 2779-2787 Rev. ImmunoL (Atassi, M.Z., ed.), 6 Dighiero, G., Guilbert, B. and CRC Press,Inc., Boca Raton, Florida, in Avrameas, S. (1982)1 Immunol. 128, press 2788-2792 7 Dighiero, G., Lymberi,J.C., Mazie, S. et 13 del Guercio, P. and Katz, D.H. Fed. Proc. in press a/. (1983)J. Immunol. 131,2267-2272
Cigarette smoking and the antibody responseto inhaled antigens
98
Sir, In their article on Immunity in the Respiratory Tract (Immunol. Today, 1985, 6, 313-314), Christian Bergmann, Robert Clancy and Klaus Petzoldt mention the importance of epidemiological studies in the analysis of the pathogenesis of human respiratory diseases and emphasize the requirement for further research on the effects of various exogenous factors on mucosal immunity. In this context we have examined the effect of cigarette smoking on the distribution of the antibody response to the inhaled antigens associated with extrinsic allergic alveolitis (EAA). Populations at risk were identified (farmers, n= 116; pigeon breeders, n=521; factory workers exposed to air humidifier contaminants, n=26) and the relevant antigens were isolated and purified 1'2. Serum IgG antibody to these antigens was found significantly more often in nonsmokers than smokers (46.1% and 10.1%, respectively, chi squared = 44.8, P
