IgG antibodies activate blood platelets and contribute to the severity of anaphylaxis

The most severe allergic reaction, anaphylaxis (or anaphylactic shock), is the result of an inappropriate immune reaction following the introduction of a usually harmless antigen into the body. The production of antibodies against this antigen (or allergen) allows the formation of antibody-antigen complexes that trigger a massive secretion of potent mediators, resulting in organ failure, which may lead to a state of shock and possibly death. While it was already known that IgE antibodies can trigger these allergic reactions, scientists from the Institut Pasteur, Inserm, the CNRS and EFS Grand Est recently demonstrated that IgG antibodies play an active role in the severity of anaphylactic shock by unexpectedly activating blood platelets.

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