Gastric response to mucosal IgE-mediated reactions.

The effect of immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated anaphylaxis has been extensively studied in the small intestine, but little information is available on the response of the stomach to IgE-mediated mucosal reactions to food proteins. The effect of luminal antigenic challenge on gastric acid secretion, gastric emptying, and mucosal mast cell degranulation was examined in rats sensitized to egg albumin or in sham-treated controls. Intraluminal challenge of the stomach with egg albumin in sensitized animals significantly increased gastric acid secretion and delayed gastric emptying. The response was specific for the sensitizing antigen as challenge with bovine serum albumin was without effect. Sham-treated animals showed no response to egg albumin or bovine serum albumin. The increase in gastric acid secretion was reproduced by antigen challenge in naive animals passively transferred with hyperimmune serum. This effect was abolished by prior heat treatment of the serum. In sensitized animals challenged with egg albumin, there was histological evidence of mast cell degranulation in the stomach mucosa, increased intraluminal release of histamine, and increased serum levels of rat mast cell protease II, a marker specific for mucosal mast cell degranulation. The findings indicate that the stomach is a target organ for IgE-mediated reactions to food proteins. Antigen challenge in sensitized animals leads to increased gastric acid secretion and delayed emptying and evidence of mucosal mast cell activation.