title: An Adjuvant-Free Mouse Model of Transdermal Sensitization and Oral Elicitation of Anaphylaxis to Shellfish.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Shellfish (SF) allergy is a leading cause of systemic anaphylaxis in humans. An adjuvant-free mouse model to evaluate allergenicity and oral anaphylaxis to SF is currently unavailable. Here, we tested the hypothesis that transdermal exposure (TDE) to SF protein extract (SFPE) not only elicits a systemic allergic immune response but also will clinically sensitize mice for oral anaphylaxis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult BALB/c female mice (6-8 weeks of age) were exposed to saline or SFPE once a week for 4 weeks using a transdermal sensitization method. Systemic SF-specific IgE, IgG1 and IgG2a and total (t)IgE responses were measured using ELISA. Systemic anaphylaxis upon oral SFPE administration was assessed according to clinical symptoms and the hypothermia shock response (HSR). Using individual mouse data, the correlation between the readouts of allergenicity was determined using Pearson's analysis. Spleen-cell IL-4 and IFN-x03B3; responses were determined using primary cell culture and ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TDE to SFPE resulted in marked systemic specific (s)IgE, tIgE, IgG1 and IgG2a responses. Oral challenge with SFPE in sensitized mice (but not controls) elicited systemic anaphylactic clinical reactions and HSR. A strong correlation was observed between sIgE, tIgE and HSR. Spleen cells isolated from allergic mice (but not controls) exhibited memory IL-4 and IFN-x03B3; cytokine responses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We report a novel adjuvant-free mouse model of SF allergy with robust quantifiable and correlated readouts of allergenicity that may be used in basic biomedical, preclinical and applied food/nutrition research on SF allergy.
authors.affiliation: Food Allergy and Immunology Laboratory, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich., USA.
authors.forename: Sitaram
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Parvataneni
authors.forename: Babu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gonipeta
authors.forename: Harini G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Acharya
authors.forename: Venu
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gangur
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000707:Anaphylaxis / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D058639:Cold-Shock Response / Q000276:immunology*; D045424:Complex Mixtures / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D061251:Primary Cell Culture; D012758:Shellfish / Q000032:analysis*; D000067208:Shellfish Hypersensitivity / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D045424:Complex Mixtures; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D007371:Interferon-gamma