IgE addition during DC differentiation enhances IgE-dependent stimulatory functions of DCs from atopic donors. MoDCs from nonatopic (left panel) and atopic donors (right panel) were cultured for 6 days with GM-CSF and IL-4 with or without NIP-specific cIgE added at days 0, 2, and 4 (1 μg/ml). IgE-mediated surface FcεRI upregulation in atopic donors was controlled by flow cytometry. Then, cells were loaded with 1 μg/ml NIP-specific cIgE. After washing and 96 h of coculture with autologous T cells in a 1:10 or 1:100 ratio of DCs/T cells plus the addition of NIP-TT, T cell proliferation was assessed by 3H-thymidine incorporation and rSI values were calculated from triplicate samples. Negative controls were either IgE or NIP-TT alone or neither, as well as T-cell culture without DCs. Shown are representative data of three experiments for each donor group.