Abstract
BackgroundThe relative contribution and the relation between individual peanut allergens in peanut allergic responses is still matter of debate. We determined the individual contribution of peanut proteins to B, T cell and allergic effector responses in a mouse model for peanut allergy.MethodsMice were immunized and challenged by oral gavage with peanut protein extract or isolated allergens Ara h 1, 2, 3 and 6 followed by assessment of food allergic manifestations. In addition, T cell responses to the individual proteins were measured by an in vitro dendritic cell-T cell assay.ResultsSensitization with the individual peanut proteins elicited IgE responses with specificity to the allergen used as expected. However, cross reactivity among Ara h 1, 2, 3 and 6 was observed. T cell re-stimulations with peanut extract and individual peanut proteins also showed cross reactivity between Ara h 1, 2, 3 and 6. Despite the cross reactivity at the IgE level, only Ara h 2 and 6 were able to elicit mast cell degranulation after an oral challenge. However, after systemic challenge, Ara h 1, 2 and 6 and to lesser extent Ara h 3 were able to elicit anaphylactic responses.ConclusionsAra h 1, 2, 3 and 6 sensitize via the intra-gastric route, but differ in their capacity to cause allergic effector responses. Interestingly, extensive cross reactivity at T cell and antibody level is observed among Ara h 1, 2, 3 and 6, which may have important implications for the diagnosis and therapy of peanut allergy. Awareness about the relative contribution of individual peanut allergens and cross reactivity between these allergens is of importance for current research in diagnostics and therapeutics for and the mechanism of peanut allergy.
Highlights
The relative contribution and the relation between individual peanut allergens in peanut allergic responses is still matter of debate
peanut extract (PE), Ara h 1, 2, 3, or 6-specific antibody and T cell responses in mice Peanut allergen-specific IgE responses were compared in mice intragastrically exposed to PE, Ara h 1, 2, 3 or 6 with Cholera toxin (CT)
Sensitization with the individual peanut proteins led to the induction of IgE antibody responses with specificity to the allergen used (Figure 1)
Summary
The relative contribution and the relation between individual peanut allergens in peanut allergic responses is still matter of debate. We determined the individual contribution of peanut proteins to B, T cell and allergic effector responses in a mouse model for peanut allergy. Sensitization to peanut is characterized by the presence of IgE to a number of peanut allergens. Literature suggests that the major allergens in peanut are Ara h 1, 2, 3, and 6, as defined by frequent and prominent IgE binding from patient sera [2,3,4]. As extensively reviewed in [7,8], cross reactivity between peanut proteins and tree nut proteins and other allergens are common, even among different protein families. Clinical studies on cross-reactivity at IgE level between peanut proteins
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