Is Atherosclerosis an Allergic Disease? By: Chris Kaiser  |  December 27, 2011

That was the title of a recent commentary in Circulation Research by Christoph J. Binder, MD, PhD, and Joseph L. Witztum, MD, from the University of California, San Diego (Circ Res 2011;109:1103-04). The two commentators were impressed by Wang et. al.'s research showing the involvement of immunoglobulin E (IgE), which plays an important role in allergic reactions, in promoting atherogenesis (J Clin Invest2011;121:3564-3577). IgE, in relation to allergic reactions, activates mast cells by binding to IgE's high-affinity receptor FcER1. In addition to allergic responses, mast cells participate in other inflammatory diseases, including atherosclerosis, Wang and colleagues wrote. For their study, Wang et. al. analyzed serum IgE levels in two separate Chinese populations and found them elevated in patients with myocardial infarction and unstable angina. Those with acute MIs had the highest levels of IgE, followed by those with unstable angina, and then those with stable angina. In other words, the circulating levels of IgE correlated with plaque instability, Wang and colleagues wrote. In addition, the investigators found IgE and FcER1 in human atherosclerotic lesions, mostly localized in macrophage-rich areas. Prior studies had found that people with common allergic diseases such as asthma and allergic rhinitis were more prone to develop atherosclerosis (Arch Intern Med 2005;165:2521-6), suggesting a link./.../