Cytokine production in children outgrowing hen egg allergy.
BACKGROUND
Approximately 40 to 80% of egg-allergic children outgrow egg allergy after 2 to 5 years.


OBJECTIVE
To detail the immunologic mechanisms involved in the development of tolerance to egg proteins, the balance between interleukin 4 (IL4) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) synthesis in patients with active atopic dermatitis allergic to hen egg and in those outgrowing hen egg allergy was evaluated.


RESULTS
A marked increase in IL4 and a decrease in IFN-gamma synthesis by peripheral blood lymphocytes following ovalbumin (OVA) specific in vitro stimulation was observed in active atopic dermatitis. In contrast, OVA-induced IL4 synthesis in patients in remission was comparable to that in normal individuals. An intriguing finding was higher production of IFN-gamma by lymphocytes from ovalbumin-insensitive patients in remission as compared to normal individuals following antigen stimulation, although cell proliferation in OVA-stimulated lymphocytes was reduced in patients during remission.


CONCLUSIONS
OVA antigen may be capable of inducing a population of Th1-type cells to produce cytokines such as IFN-gamma, resulting in suppression of Th2-type responses, i.e. IL4 secretion. We speculate that the changes in the balance of relevant antigen-induced cytokine synthesis seen in such patients may be causally associated with the improvement in their clinical status.
Noma
T
T
Department of Paediatrics, Saitama Medical School, Japan.
Yoshizawa
I
I
Aoki
K
K
Yamaguchi
K
K
Baba
M
M
D000941:Antigens / Q000494:pharmacology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004527:Egg Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D004531:Eggs / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007223:Infant; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D015854:Up-Regulation
D000941:Antigens; D016207:Cytokines; D004527:Egg Proteins; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D010047:Ovalbumin