TY - JOUR
T1 - IgE and mast cell responses on intestinal allergen exposure
T2 - A murine model to study the onset of flood allergy
AU - Van Halteren, A. G.S.
AU - Van der Cammen, M. J.F.
AU - Biewenga, J.
AU - Savelkoul, H. F.J.
AU - Kraal, G.
N1 - Funding Information:
Supported by The Netherlands Digestive Diseases Foundation.
PY - 1997
Y1 - 1997
N2 - Objective: Allergic reactions to food are characterized by enhanced allergen-specific IgE serum levels and the activation of intestinal mast cells. Here we describe a murine model for the onset of food allergy and the role of cytokines in the regulation of food-induced IgE responses. Methods: Mice are primed systemically with low doses of alum-precipitated ovalbumin. Subsequent intragastric challenge led to enhanced sensitization. Results: Compared with baseline ovalbumin-specific IgE levels before challenge (0.23 ± 0.06 optical density [OD] units, ovalbumin-challenged mice showed significantly elevated IgE levels (0.86 ± 0.23 OD units) after intragastric challenge, which were not observed in control animals (0.29 ± 0.06 OD units). IgE levels mirrored intestinal mast cell activation, measured by decreased histamine levels in duodenal specimens, in ovalbumin-challenged mice (92.6 ± 7.9 ng/0.1 gm tissue weight) but not in saline-challenged mice (135.4 ± 18.3 ng/0.1 gm tissue weight), compared with baseline levels (141.1 ± 4.1 ng/0.1 gm tissue weight). Changes in IgE and histamine levels after intragastric challenge could be blocked by treating the animals with neutralizing antibodies against IL-4 or IL-10. Although it is generally accepted that ingestion of food allergens leads to a state of immunologic unresponsiveness (i.e., oral tolerance), it is shown here that low-dose systemic priming followed by intragastric challenge leads to sensitization instead of unresponsiveness. Conclusions: Our murine model shows an important correlation between T(H2) cytokines, IgE production, and histamine release. Hence, this in vivo model provides a useful tool with which the complex mechanism underlying sensitization of food allergens can be studied.
AB - Objective: Allergic reactions to food are characterized by enhanced allergen-specific IgE serum levels and the activation of intestinal mast cells. Here we describe a murine model for the onset of food allergy and the role of cytokines in the regulation of food-induced IgE responses. Methods: Mice are primed systemically with low doses of alum-precipitated ovalbumin. Subsequent intragastric challenge led to enhanced sensitization. Results: Compared with baseline ovalbumin-specific IgE levels before challenge (0.23 ± 0.06 optical density [OD] units, ovalbumin-challenged mice showed significantly elevated IgE levels (0.86 ± 0.23 OD units) after intragastric challenge, which were not observed in control animals (0.29 ± 0.06 OD units). IgE levels mirrored intestinal mast cell activation, measured by decreased histamine levels in duodenal specimens, in ovalbumin-challenged mice (92.6 ± 7.9 ng/0.1 gm tissue weight) but not in saline-challenged mice (135.4 ± 18.3 ng/0.1 gm tissue weight), compared with baseline levels (141.1 ± 4.1 ng/0.1 gm tissue weight). Changes in IgE and histamine levels after intragastric challenge could be blocked by treating the animals with neutralizing antibodies against IL-4 or IL-10. Although it is generally accepted that ingestion of food allergens leads to a state of immunologic unresponsiveness (i.e., oral tolerance), it is shown here that low-dose systemic priming followed by intragastric challenge leads to sensitization instead of unresponsiveness. Conclusions: Our murine model shows an important correlation between T(H2) cytokines, IgE production, and histamine release. Hence, this in vivo model provides a useful tool with which the complex mechanism underlying sensitization of food allergens can be studied.
KW - food allergy
KW - histamine
KW - IgE
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0031034837&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0091-6749(97)70305-1
DO - 10.1016/S0091-6749(97)70305-1
M3 - Article
C2 - 9003216
AN - SCOPUS:0031034837
SN - 0091-6749
VL - 99
SP - 94
EP - 99
JO - Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
JF - Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
IS - 1 I
ER -