title: Inhibition of allergen-induced airway inflammation by low-dose oral immunotherapy with transgenic rice seeds independently of immunoglobulin e synthesis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oral immunotherapy is potentially useful for the treatment of allergic diseases. We previously demonstrated that allergen-induced airway inflammation and immunoglobulin E (IgE) production in mice were suppressed by oral administration of high-dose transgenic (Tg) rice seeds (approximately 50 g/kg/day) expressing a T cell epitope of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus group 1 allergen (Der p 1). However, this amount of Tg rice seeds was not realistic in our daily life. In this study, allergen-induced airway inflammation and IgE production following oral immunotherapy with a realistic (lowest) dose of Tg rice seeds were investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mice orally administered with Tg or non-Tg rice seeds at approximately 5 g/kg/day for 1 week were immunized with recombinant Der p 1, and then challenged with the corresponding allergen. The infiltration of inflammatory cells into the airways and the levels of allergen-specific serum IgE were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Low-dose oral administration of Tg rice seeds significantly inhibited the allergen-induced infiltration of eosinophils and lymphocytes into the airways, but allergen-specific IgE synthesis was not changed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low-dose oral immunotherapy with Tg rice seeds could suppress allergen-induced airway inflammation through mechanisms other than the downregulation of IgE synthesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergy and Immunology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Mayumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saeki
authors.forename: Tomoe
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kaminuma
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takai
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Kazuko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takada
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Takaiwa
authors.forename: Takachika
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hiroi
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides / Q000276:immunology; D060829:Arthropod Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000276:immunology; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012275:Oryza / Q000276:immunology*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000276:immunology*; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D012639:Seeds / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides; D060829:Arthropod Proteins; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; C451162:Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus antigen p 1