title: Peripheral blood immune response elicited by beta-lactoglobulin in childhood cow's milk allergy.
abstract: Several studies analyzing the immune responses in patients with cow's milk allergy (CMA) have used T-cell lines or T-cell clones that require prolonged in vitro cell culturing and may result in a switched cell phenotype and function. We investigated immune responses to beta-lactoglobulin (b-LG) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells after a short in vitro antigen stimulation in children with acute CMA (both IgE-mediated and non-IgE-mediated forms) and in those who outgrew an IgE-mediated CMA. Healthy controls were also investigated. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were assayed for IL-13, IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-10. Although b-LG induced a cytokine production and/or cell proliferation almost in all children, included healthy controls, differences were observed among the four groups. Children with IgE-mediated CMA had a marked Th2-response, with high IL-13 production and proliferation, but low IFN-γ; by contrast, children with non-IgE-mediated CMA produced no, or very low, IL-13 and cell proliferation. Children, who outgrew CMA, showed a shift to a Th1-response, with reduced IL-13 and increased IFN-γ. IL-10-responses were high in all groups, with the highest level in healthy children; by contrast, IL-4 was undetectable in all children. This study highlights the use of shortly stimulated peripheral blood cells to investigate the food-induced immune responses.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Food Sciences, CNR, Avellino 83100, Italy.
authors.forename: Immacolata
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vocca
authors.forename: Roberto Berni
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Canani
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Camarca
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ruotolo
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nocerino
authors.forename: Giorgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Radano
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Del Mastro
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Troncone
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gianfrani
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000276:immunology*; D007223:Infant; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism; D007782:Lactoglobulins / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016269:Milk Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018793:Interleukin-13; D007782:Lactoglobulins; D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma