Antigen-specific secretory IgA antibodies in the gut are decreased in a mouse model of food allergy

• Published in: Journal of allergy and clinical immunology 2004-08, Vol.114 (2), p.377-382
• Main Authors: Frossard, Christophe P, Hauser, Conrad, Eigenmann, Philippe A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adoptive Transfer; Allergies; anaphylaxis; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cell culture; Cloning; Cytokines; Disease Models, Animal; Feces; Female; Food; Food allergies; Food hypersensitivity; Food Hypersensitivity - immunology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; IgA antibody; IL-10; Immune system; Immune Tolerance; Immunoglobulin A, Secretory - analysis; Immunopathology; Interleukin-10 - biosynthesis; Intestinal Mucosa - immunology; Lactoglobulins - immunology; Lymphocytes; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred C3H; Peyer's Patches - immunology; Rodents; Spleen; T lymphocytes; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; TGF-β; tolerance; Transforming Growth Factor beta - biosynthesis; β-lactoglobulin
• ISSN: 0091-6749; 1097-6825
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2004.03.040

A large body of evidence implicates IgA antibodies in the immune response to pathogens present in the gut. Whether IgA antibodies play a similar role in food allergy remains to be determined. We sought to characterize β-lactoglobulin (BLG)–specific serum and secretory IgA antibody production in the gut and to define the role of antigen-induced cytokines in IgA production in a murine model of food allergy. BLG-specific IgA antibodies were measured in the sera and feces of mice anaphylactic or tolerant to BLG. The number of antibody-secreting cells in the spleen and Peyer's patches was determined by means of ELISPOT. Mesenteric lymph node cells and Peyer's patch T cells were transferred to naive mice, and antibody production in the sera and feces in recipient mice, as well as antibody-secreting cell numbers, were measured. Serum IgA antibody titers were strongly increased in anaphylactic mice. In contrast, BLG-specific IgA antibody titers were increased in feces but not in sera from tolerant mice. These results were correlated with an increased number of BLG-specific IgA-secreting cells in Peyer's patches from tolerant mice. The adoptive transfer of Peyer's patch CD3 + cells from tolerant mice induced an increased number of IgA-secreting cells preferentially in the Peyer's patches of naive recipient mice. Furthermore, an increase of BLG-induced IL-10 and TGF-β levels was found at IgA production sites. These results suggest a role for secretory IgA in tolerance mechanisms to foods. Peyer's patch CD3 + cells are primarily involved by favoring IgA production through the release of IL-10 and TGF-β.