Hypersensitivity/Allergies?

[pluot]

I am unclear about hypersenitivty. I think it involoves the the immune producing too many IgE antibodies which attach to mast cells, and an allergen creates a cross link which then stimulates the mast cells to realease histamine. I'm not sure if this is correct though because I've read that there needs to be subsequent encounters with the allergen beore it releases histamine? I am just confused!

[spherelin]

yeah, the first time your body encounters something it considers nonself it will produce igE antibodies blah blah blah you know the story EXCEPT, these antibodies attach to mast cells on the first exposure with little response... but the second time you're exposed to the antigen, the antigen binds to the IgE antibodies ont he mast cells, THEN your mast cells release histamine which causes swelling etc etc
idk if that makes sense but haha i tried

[saheh]

There will be an initial encounter with allergen, which body recognizes as non-self and will produce antibodies specific to allergen. These bind to mast cells. Then on second encounter, allergen binds to antibodies(which are IgE), and signals an immune response, and mast cells release histamine

[pluot]

Ahh that makes sense! Thanks!