Murine IgE and IgG antibody responses to allergenic and non-allergenic foods: Potential model for allergenicity assessment of foods in man

Previous studies were directed at defining potential allergenicity of proteins using a mouse model. Intragastric (ig) immunizations of mice with peanut and shrimp extracts plus cholera toxin (CT) yielded IgE antibody responses to these allergens similar to the responses of food-allergic patients. Our current study includes additional results of mice immunized to a total of 5 major food allergens and 3 non-allergenic foods. 10–20 C 3H/HeJ female mice, 7–8 weeks old, were immunized ig 4 times over a 6-week period with allergenic (shrimp, peanut, walnut, cashew, and cod) or non-allergenic (rice, chicken, and beef) food extracts plus 10 ug CT. Following exanguination, serum IgE and IgG antibody responses to foods were determined by ELISA. Significant IgE (0.7219 - 11.3 ug/ml) and IgG (172.2 - 1373 ug/ml) antibody responses to shrimp, peanut, walnut, and cashew were demonstrated. Minimal IgE antibody responses (0 - 0.0361 ug/ml) and lower IgG antibody responses (0.0331 - 461.7 ug/ml) were demonstrated to cod, rice, chicken, and beef. Immunoblotting showed that the IgE reactivity of food-allergic subjects and that of mice immunized to shrimp, peanuts, and nuts were similar. These studies indicate that mice and man respond similarly to 4 out of 5 major food allergens and 3 out of 3 non-allergens, suggesting that the murine reaction to most major food allergens is similar to that of man. These results provide a basis for the future use of the mouse model in evaluating potential food allergens.