title: Intranasal sensitization with Blomia tropicalis antigens induces allergic responses in mice characterized by elevated antigen-specific and non-specific serum IgE and peripheral blood eosinophil counts.
abstract: In order to evaluate the potential allergenicity of Blomia tropicalis (Bt) antigen, IgE production of both specific and non-specific for Bt antigen was monitored in BALB/c mice after exposure to the antigen by nasal route. It was evidenced that B. tropicalis contains a functional allergen in its components. The allergenic components, however, when administered intranasally without any adjuvant, did not function to induce IgE response within a short period. On the other hand, intranasal inoculation of Bt antigens augmented serum IgE responses in mice pretreated by a subcutaneous priming injection of the same antigens. Inoculation of Bt antigen without subcutaneous priming injections induced IgE antibody production only when the antigen was continuously administered for a long period of over 24 weeks. Even when the priming injection was absent, the Bt antigen inoculated with cholera toxin (CT) as a mucosal adjuvant also significantly augmented the Bt antigen-specific IgE responses depending on the dose of CT co-administered. The present study also demonstrated that Bt antigen/CT-inoculated mice showed increased non-specific serum IgE level and peripheral blood eosinophil rates without noticeable elevations of the total leukocyte counts. The immunoblot analysis demonstrated 5 main antigenic components reactive to IgE antibodies induced. These components at about 44-64 kDa position were considered to be an important candidate antigen for diagnosis of the mite-related allergy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Tropical Parasitology, Department of Social and Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa, 903-0215, Japan. k008763@eve.u-ryukyu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Fumiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arakawa
authors.forename: Hiromu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Toma
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Yoshiya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides / Q000276:immunology*; D052179:Antigens, Plant; D002772:Cholera Toxin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic / Q000379:methods*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides; D052179:Antigens, Plant; C473655:Blo t 1allergen, Blomia tropicalis; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D002772:Cholera Toxin