Cytokine profile of food-allergic post-liver transplant children is identified by high levels of IL-5 and low IL-10 secretion from patients' peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
Severe allergic reaction to food following liver transplantation is a well-known phenomenon. However, the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are not yet elucidated. This study aimed to reveal the nature of the immune response in post-transplanted allergic patients and compare them to non-allergic transplanted as well as allergic and non-allergic control subjects, with focus on cytokine milieu. Post-liver transplant patients with and without allergic reactions as well as food-allergic but otherwise healthy and healthy non-allergic control patients were recruited. We reviewed patient records and routine laboratory tests and assayed subjects' PBMCs, studying cytokine secretion profile in response to different stimuli. Post-transplant patients with food allergy showed a unique cytokine profile in response to various stimuli, with extremely elevated IL-5, low IL-10 secretion, and somewhat higher IFN-γ. T regulatory cell number was not significantly different among the groups of patients and controls. Immune response of food-allergic post-liver transplant patients is identified by a unique cytokine profile when compared to allergic but otherwise healthy individuals.
Pediatrics A', Soroka University Medical Center, Beer Sheva, Israel.|Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of The Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel.
Amit
A
Nahum
Pediatrics Division, Liver Transplant Clinic, Kaplan Medical Center Rehovot, Affiliated with the Hebrew University Medical School, Rehovot, Israel.
Avivit
A
Brener
Pediatrics Division, Liver Transplant Clinic, Kaplan Medical Center Rehovot, Affiliated with the Hebrew University Medical School, Rehovot, Israel.
Ettie
E
Granot
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood*; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000097:blood*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology
D015415:Biomarkers; D015848:Interleukin-5; D016753:Interleukin-10
T regulatory cells; cytokines; food allergy; liver transplant; tacrolimus