Maternal allergic contact dermatitis causes increased asthma risk in offspring.
BACKGROUND
Offspring of asthmatic mothers have increased risk of developing asthma, based on human epidemiologic data and experimental animal models. The objective of this study was to determine whether maternal allergy at non-pulmonary sites can increase asthma risk in offspring.


METHODS
BALB/c female mice received 2 topical applications of vehicle, dinitrochlorobenzene, or toluene diisocyanate before mating with untreated males. Dinitrochlorobenzene is a skin-sensitizer only and known to induce a Th1 response, while toluene diisocyanate is both a skin and respiratory sensitizer that causes a Th2 response. Both cause allergic contact dermatitis. Offspring underwent an intentionally suboptimal protocol of allergen sensitization and aerosol challenge, followed by evaluation of airway hyperresponsiveness, allergic airway inflammation, and cytokine production. Mothers were tested for allergic airway disease, evidence of dermatitis, cellularity of the draining lymph nodes, and systemic cytokine levels. The role of interleukin-4 was also explored using interleukin-4 deficient mice.


RESULTS
Offspring of toluene diisocyanate but not dinitrochlorobenzene-treated mothers developed an asthmatic phenotype following allergen sensitization and challenge, seen as increased Penh values, airway inflammation, bronchoalveolar lavage total cell counts and eosinophilia, and Th2 cytokine imbalance in the lung. Toluene diisocyanate treated interleukin-4 deficient mothers were able to transfer asthma risk to offspring. Mothers in both experimental groups developed allergic contact dermatitis, but not allergic airway disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Maternal non-respiratory allergy (Th2-skewed dermatitis caused by toluene diisocyanate) can result in the maternal transmission of asthma risk in mice.
Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA. rlim@hsph.harvard.edu
Robert H
RH
Lim
Mohamed S
MS
Arredouani
Alexey
A
Fedulov
Lester
L
Kobzik
Cedric
C
Hubeau
D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology*; D017449:Dermatitis, Allergic Contact / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D004137:Dinitrochlorobenzene / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000502:physiology; D007509:Irritants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D012307:Risk Factors; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D014051:Toluene 2,4-Diisocyanate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects
D004137:Dinitrochlorobenzene; D007509:Irritants; D014051:Toluene 2,4-Diisocyanate; D015847:Interleukin-4