title: Development of transgenic rice expressing mite antigen for a new concept of immunotherapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To elucidate the usefulness of antigen-specific immunotherapy based on oral vaccination with an edible part of the plant, we examined the effect of transgenic (Tg) rice seeds expressing an immunodominant fragment of the group 1 antigen of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p 1) on a murine model of asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mice were orally vaccinated with the Tg or non-Tg rice seeds for 2 weeks, then they were immunized with recombinant Der p 1 (rDer p 1) and alum intraperitoneally. Antigen-induced immune responses, such as proliferation and cytokine production of CD4+ T cells, antigen-specific serum IgE and IgG, and infiltration of inflammatory cells into the airways were investigated in those mice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The proliferation and Th2 cytokine production of CD4+ T cells in vitro, antigen-specific IgE and IgG synthesis as well as accumulation of eosinophils and lymphocytes into the airways in vivo were significantly inhibited by administration of the Tg rice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that the edible vaccines using Tg rice seeds are useful for the treatment of allergic disorders including bronchial asthma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergy and Immunology, The Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kaminuma
authors.forename: Lijun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Motoi
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takai
authors.forename: Saori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
authors.forename: Ko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okumura
authors.forename: Hideoki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Takaiwa
authors.forename: Takachika
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hiroi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D060829:Arthropod Proteins; D001249:Asthma / Q000628:therapy*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D016233:Immunotherapy, Active / Q000379:methods*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D051379:Mice; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D012639:Seeds / Q000276:immunology; D022462:Vaccines, Edible / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides; D060829:Arthropod Proteins; D016207:Cytokines; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D022462:Vaccines, Edible; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; C451162:Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus antigen p 1