ABSTRACT
In allergic disease, local production of IgE may be important, and 1gBsecreting cells have been detected in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid (6). Levels of IgE detected in the fluid support the conclusion that it is produced locally (7). In fact, a direct nasal IgE response to diesel exhaust particles, which have been implicated in the increased incidence of allergic airway disorders, has been demonstrated at both the cell and protein levels (8). The evidence therefore strongly implicates lgE as a mediator of allergic disease and indicates that it may be produced at local sites.
