BACKGROUND: Allergen-specific T cells play an important role in the allergic immune response to various environmental allergens. In vitro studies have shown that T-cell responses to these allergens do occur prenatally. Some allergens (milk proteins) appear to lead more often to fetal T-cell priming than others (house dust mite allergen, ovalbumin, and birch and grass pollen allergens). OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the window of opportunity for prenatal T-cell priming with inhalant and nutritive allergens. METHODS: The T-cell reactivity of cord blood cells derived through cordocentesis from unborn (n = 62) and term babies (n = 114) in response to inhalant allergens (birch pollen major allergen, recombinant Bet v 1, and timothy grass major allergen, recombinant Phl p 1) was investigated. RESULTS: The results demonstrate that allergen-specific T-cell reactivity is as common in preterm as in term infants (Bet v 1, 8% and 5%, respectively; Phl p 1, 20% and 25%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our data support the hypothesis that differential handling of the allergenic proteins by the feto-placental barrier and possibly by antigen-presenting cells may directly modulate the ensuing T-cell immune response.
BACKGROUND: Allergen-specific T cells play an important role in the allergic immune response to various environmental allergens. In vitro studies have shown that T-cell responses to these allergens do occur prenatally. Some allergens (milk proteins) appear to lead more often to fetal T-cell priming than others (house dust mite allergen, ovalbumin, and birch and grass pollen allergens). OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the window of opportunity for prenatal T-cell priming with inhalant and nutritive allergens. METHODS: The T-cell reactivity of cord blood cells derived through cordocentesis from unborn (n = 62) and term babies (n = 114) in response to inhalant allergens (birch pollen major allergen, recombinant Bet v 1, and timothy grass major allergen, recombinant Phl p 1) was investigated. RESULTS: The results demonstrate that allergen-specific T-cell reactivity is as common in preterm as in term infants (Bet v 1, 8% and 5%, respectively; Phl p 1, 20% and 25%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our data support the hypothesis that differential handling of the allergenic proteins by the feto-placental barrier and possibly by antigen-presenting cells may directly modulate the ensuing T-cell immune response.
Authors: B Schaub; K G Tantisira; F K Gibbons; H He; A A Litonjua; M W Gillman; S Weiss; D L Perkins; D R Gold; P W Finn Journal: J Clin Immunol Date: 2005-07 Impact factor: 8.317
Authors: Ben M Willwerth; Bianca Schaub; Kelan G Tantisira; Diane R Gold; Lyle J Palmer; Augusto A Litonjua; David L Perkins; Christian Schroeter; Fiona K Gibbons; Matthew W Gillman; Scott T Weiss; Patricia W Finn Journal: Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol Date: 2006-03 Impact factor: 6.347
Authors: Diane R Gold; Gordon R Bloomberg; William W Cruikshank; Cynthia M Visness; John Schwarz; Meyer Kattan; George T O'Connor; Robert A Wood; Melissa S Burger; Rosalind J Wright; Frank Witter; Aviva Lee-Parritz; Rhoda Sperling; Yoel Sadovsky; Alkis Togias; James E Gern Journal: J Allergy Clin Immunol Date: 2009-11 Impact factor: 10.793
Authors: Julie A Cakebread; H-M Haitchi; John W Holloway; Robert M Powell; Tim Keith; Donna E Davies; Stephen T Holgate Journal: Springer Semin Immunopathol Date: 2003-11-15
Authors: Christian H Schroeter; Bianca Schaub; Diane R Gold; Paola J Contreras; Oscar Manrique; Matthew W Gillman; Scott Weiss; Lyle J Palmer; David Perkins; Patricia W Finn Journal: Pediatr Res Date: 2004-06-04 Impact factor: 3.756