A neonatal swine model of allergy induced by the major food allergen chicken ovomucoid (Gal d 1).
BACKGROUND
Food allergy is a serious health problem for which a validated outbred large animal model would be useful in comparative investigations of immunopathogenesis and treatment and in testing hypotheses relevant to complex host-environmental interactions in predisposition to and expression of food allergy.


OBJECTIVE
To establish a neonatal swine model of IgE-mediated allergy to the egg protein ovomucoid (Ovm) that may mimic human allergy.


METHODS
In order to induce Ovm sensitivity, piglets at days 14, 21 and 35 of age were sensitized by intraperitoneal injection of 100 microg of crude Ovm and cholera toxin (50, 25 or 10 microg). Controls received 50 microg of cholera toxin in phosphate-buffered saline. The animals were challenged orally on day 46 with a mixture of egg white and yoghurt. Outcomes were reported as direct skin tests, clinical signs, IgG-related antibody and passive cutaneous anaphylaxis.


RESULTS
Sensitized pigs developed immediate wheal and flare reactions, and after oral challenge, sensitized but not control animals displayed signs of allergic hypersensitivity. Serum IgG-related, Ovm-specific antibodies were detected only in the sensitized pigs and IgE-mediated antibody response to Ovm was confirmed by positive passive cutaneous anaphylaxis reactions induced by sera of sensitized but not by heat-treated sera from Ovm-sensitized pigs or sera of unsensitized control pigs.


CONCLUSIONS
The present results confirm induction of Ovm-specific allergy in pigs and provide opportunity to investigate allergic predisposition and immunopathogenesis of IgE-induced Ovm allergy using outbred neonatal swine. This may better simulate allergic disease in humans and allow investigation of candidate prophylactic and therapeutic approaches.
Rupa
Prithy
P
Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ont., Canada.
Hamilton
Korinne
K
Cirinna
Melissa
M
Wilkie
Bruce N
BN
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002772:Cholera Toxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D021181:Egg Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D010059:Ovomucin / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000276:immunology; D010323:Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis / Q000276:immunology; D011897:Random Allocation; D012882:Skin Tests; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013552:Swine / Q000276:immunology*
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D010059:Ovomucin; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D002772:Cholera Toxin