Enteric reovirus infection stimulates peanut-specific IgG2a responses in a mouse food allergy model

Immunobiology. 2010 Dec;215(12):941-8. doi: 10.1016/j.imbio.2010.02.004. Epub 2010 Mar 4.

Abstract

IgE-mediated food allergies are an important cause of life-threatening hypersensitivity reactions. Orally administered peanut antigens mixed with the mucosal adjuvant cholera toxin (CT) induce a strong peanut extract (PE)-specific serum IgE response that is correlated with T-helper type 1 (Th1) and type 2 (Th2)-like T-cell responses. This study was conducted to determine if respiratory enteric orphan virus (reovirus), a non-pathogenic virus that induces robust Th1-mediated mucosal and systemic responses could modulate induction of PE-specific allergic responses when co-administered with PE. Young mice were orally exposed to PE mixed with CT, reovirus, or both CT and reovirus. As expected, CT promoted PE-specific serum IgE, IgG1, and IgG2a and intestinal IgA production as well as splenic Th1- and Th2-associated cytokine recall responses. Reovirus did not alter PE-specific serum IgE and IgG1 levels, but substantially increased the PE-specific IgG2a response when co-administered with PE with or without CT. Additionally, reovirus significantly decreased the percentage of the Peyer's patch CD8+ T-cells and Foxp3+CD4+ T-regulatory cells when co-administered with PE. These results demonstrate that an acute mucosal reovirus infection and subsequent Th1 immune response is capable of modulating the Th1/Th2 controlled humoral response to PE. The reovirus-mediated increase in the PE-specific IgG2a antibody response may have therapeutic implications as increased levels of non-allergenic PE-specific IgG2a could block PE antigens from binding to IgE-sensitized mast cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Arachis / chemistry
  • Arachis / immunology*
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / drug effects
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / microbiology
  • Cell Line
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cholera Toxin / immunology
  • Cholera Toxin / pharmacology
  • Cytokines / immunology
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin A / immunology
  • Immunoglobulin G / immunology*
  • Intestinal Mucosa / drug effects
  • Intestinal Mucosa / immunology
  • Intestinal Mucosa / virology
  • Intestine, Small / drug effects
  • Intestine, Small / immunology
  • Intestine, Small / virology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C3H
  • Peanut Hypersensitivity / immunology*
  • Peyer's Patches / immunology
  • Peyer's Patches / virology
  • Plant Extracts / immunology
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology
  • Reoviridae Infections / immunology*
  • Spleen / cytology
  • Spleen / drug effects
  • Spleen / metabolism
  • Th1 Cells / drug effects
  • Th1 Cells / immunology
  • Tissue Culture Techniques

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • Immunoglobulin A
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Plant Extracts
  • Cholera Toxin