title: Comparison between ovalbumin and ovalbumin peptide 323-339 responses in allergic mice: humoral and cellular aspects.
abstract: Ovalbumin (OVA) is widely used in allergy research. OVA peptide 323-339 has been reported to be responsible for 25-35% of isolated BALB/c mouse T-cell response to intact OVA. An investigation of whether OVA and OVA 323-339 molecules can induce equivalent in vivo and in vitro immune responses was conducted. Eight-week-old BALB/c mice were randomly divided into three groups: OVA, OVA 323-339 and saline. On days 0, 7, 14, mice were intraperitoneally injected with 25 microg OVA or OVA 323-339 absorbed on 300 microg Alum, or saline; on days 21-23, all groups were challenged intranasally with either 20 microl of 1% OVA, 1% OVA 323-339 or saline. On day 28, after killing, splenocytes were isolated and cultured under the stimulus of each allergen or medium. Evaluated by hematoxylin/eosin and major basic protein immunohistochemical stainings, OVA and OVA 323-339 induced similar lung inflammation. Interestingly, significant serum total IgE and OVA-specific IgE were observed in OVA mice when compared to saline control. OVA 323-339 mice showed higher serum OVA-specific IgE, OVA 323-339-specific IgE, IL-4 and lower IFN-gamma similar to OVA mice. The proliferative response to OVA was found in cultured splenocytes of both OVA and OVA 323-339 mice, while the similar proliferative response to OVA 323-339 was only observed in the splenocytes of OVA 323-339-sensitized and challenged mice. Although OVA 323-339 induced a Th2-like response in the mouse model as did OVA, OVA 323-339 has clearly limited immunogenic potency to activate OVA-sensitized and challenged mice splenocytes, unlike OVA.
authors.affiliation: Allergy Research Group, Institute of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. lizhi.sun@gmail.com
authors.forename: L-Z
authors.initials: LZ
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Elsayed
authors.forename: T B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Aasen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Van Do
authors.forename: N P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Aardal
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Florvaag
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vaali
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D007114:Immunization; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; C111390:OVA 323-339; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D010047:Ovalbumin