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Generating a Natural Porcine Model of Gastrointestinal Food Allergy to Peanut
Author(s) -
Reece Joshua J,
Kohn Kristen,
Ets Hillevi,
Beshah Ethiopia,
Urban Joseph F,
Dawson Harry D
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.671.13
Subject(s) - peanut allergy , food allergy , allergic response , adjuvant , allergy , allergen , immunology , mesenteric lymph nodes , medicine , immunoglobulin e , peanut butter , food science , biology , immune system , antibody
The peanut is an extremely potent allergen and cause the majority of food‐related anaphylaxis in children, adolescents and adults. Experiments performed in rodents using peanut antigen have been acceptable for proof of principal, however large animal models are more physiologically relevant for comparison to human allergic responses. Minimal preliminary work on peanut allergy has been done in dogs and pigs, however, these models have yet to be fully characterized. In our current study, we used pigs sensitized to low and high doses of an extract of commercial grade peanut flour injected intraperitoneally using only alum as an adjuvant. Subsequent oral challenge using over‐the‐counter, unsalted and dry‐roasted peanuts resulted in a robust allergic response in pigs sensitized with the low dose; however these responses were not observed in pigs sensitized to the high dose suggesting the induction of tolerance. Allergic responses were characterized by increased transcription of IL‐4, IgE and CD209 in the mesenteric lymph nodes and small intestines of low dose sensitized pigs. In addition, increased transcription of IL‐10, IL‐21 and CTLA4 was observed, suggesting that regulatory pathways were triggered as well. This work is the first to define the pig as a viable immunological model of mucosal food allergies at the molecular level. Funded by ARS/USDA.