Intestinal B cell-activating factor: an indicator of non-IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reactions to food?
BACKGROUND
Medically confirmed hypersensitivity reactions to food are usually IgE-mediated. Non-IgE-mediated reactions are not only seldom recognized but also more difficult to diagnose.


OBJECTIVE
To examine B cell-activating factor (BAFF) in serum and gut lavage fluid of patients with self-reported food hypersensitivity, and to study its relationship to atopic disease.


METHODS
Gut lavage fluid was obtained from 60 and serum from another 17 patients with self-reported food hypersensitivity. Twenty healthy volunteers served as controls, gut lavage fluid was obtained in all, serum from 11 of 20. The patients were divided into atopic and non-atopic subgroups. BAFF was measured by ELISA in both serum and gut lavage fluid.


RESULTS
B cell-activating factor levels in serum and gut lavage fluid were significantly higher in patients than in controls (P < 0.03 and P < 0.002 respectively). Non-atopic patients had significantly higher levels of BAFF in serum than both atopic patients (P < 0.05) and controls (P < 0.05). There was no significant correlation between serum levels of BAFF and IgE.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that BAFF might be a new mediating mechanism in food hypersensitivity reactions. Significantly higher levels in non-atopic compared with atopic patients, and no correlation between BAFF and IgE, suggest that BAFF might be involved particularly in non-IgE-mediated reactions.
Lied
G Arslan
GA
Institute of Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway. Gulen.Arslan@med.uib.no <Gulen.Arslan@med.uib.no>
Lillestøl
K
K
Valeur
J
J
Berstad
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D055815:Young Adult
D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor; D015415:Biomarkers