title: Bacterial protease treatment of natural rubber latex alters its primary immunogenicity in a mouse model of sensitization.
abstract: The purpose of the present investigation was to determine whether enzyme-treated (ET)-NRL is less immunogenic than untreated NRL in a BALB/c mouse model of primary in vivo sensitization following repeated subcutaneous injections with the aqueous phase of ammoniated NRL or ET-NRL. Mice immunized with NRL produced IgE against NRL and ET-NRL, indicating that protease treatment did not completely destroy IgE antibody epitopes. In contrast, ET-NRL-immunized mice did not produce IgE against either NRL or ET-NRL, suggesting that enzyme treatment reduced the number of antigenic polypeptides associated with NRL below the threshold for sensitization. Thelper-lymphocytes from NRL-immunized mice proliferated and produced IL-4 when stimulated in vitro with polypeptides from NRL, but not ET-NRL. In contrast, Thelper-lymphocytes from ET-NRL-immunized mice were nonresponsive to ET-NRL or NRL. We conclude that lack of IgE production by ET-NRL-immunized mice is likely related to a lack of T-cell help in the form of IL-4, rather than enzyme digestion of IgE antibody epitopes. These data indicate that there is an immunologic rationale for production of enzyme-treated NRL-containing medical devices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Maryland School of Medicine 21201. agasp001@umaryland.edu
authors.forename: Anthony A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Gaspari
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Thatcher
authors.forename: Robert P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ferbel
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tanck
authors.forename: Gurrinder S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Bedi
authors.forename: Frank W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Perrella
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000276:immunology; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005260:Female; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D020315:Latex Hypersensitivity / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012408:Rubber / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000737:chemistry; D013381:Subtilisins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D012408:Rubber; D013381:Subtilisins