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Characterization of ovomucoid‐specific T‐cell lines and clones from egg‐allergic subjects
Author(s) -
Eigenmann Philippe A.,
Huang ShauKu,
Sampson Hugh A.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
pediatric allergy and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.269
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1399-3038
pISSN - 0905-6157
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-3038.1996.tb00100.x
Subject(s) - ovalbumin , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , immunology , allergen , cytokine , antigen , allergy , t cell , medicine , interleukin 4 , biology , immune system , in vitro , genetics
In the pathogenesis of allergic reactions, T cells and cytokines play a major role. However, characterizations of food allergen‐specific T cells are very limited. In this study, we screened the peripheral blood mononuclear cells ( PBMC ) of 14 patients for reactivity to ovomucoid ( Gal d I ), the major hen's egg allergen, and ovalbumin ( Gal d II ). Cell lines and clones specific to ovomucoid were generated from PBMC of four egg‐allergic subjects, in order to study antigen domain specificity and cell cytokine production profiles. The results demonstrated, firstly, that egg‐allergic patients respond to ovomucoid rather than to ovalbumin, and secondly, that antigen specificity is predominantly directed toward the second and third domains of ovomucoid. The T‐cell cytokine message was characterized by reverse transcrip‐tase polymerase chain reaction ( RT‐PCR ). Cell lines and clones from all four patients consistently expressed interleukin ( IL )‐5. IL‐4, IL‐13. and in‐terferon‐gamma were found to be expressed only by certain lines or clones. This observation suggests a central pathogenic role for IL‐5 in food allergy‐related symptoms.