Egg white peptide-based immunotherapy enhances vitamin A metabolism and induces RORγt+ regulatory T cells

• Published in: Journal of functional foods Vol. 52; pp. 204 - 211
• Main Authors: Lozano-Ojalvo, Daniel, Martínez-Blanco, Mónica, Pérez-Rodríguez, Leticia, Molina, Elena, Peláez, Carmen, Requena, Teresa, López-Fandiño, Rosina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2019; Elsevier
• Subjects: Egg-peptide immunotherapy; Food allergy; Microbiota; Regulatory T cells; Retinoic acid; RORγt; Food allergy; Egg-peptide immunotherapy; EP; Regulatory T cells; mMCP-1; SCFA; MLN; RA; CT; Microbiota; EW; Treg cells; qPCR; OIT; Retinoic acid; RORγt; DC
• ISSN: 1756-4646; 2214-9414
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jff.2018.11.012

[Display omitted] •Immunotherapy with peptides positively modulates the microbiota of allergic mice.•Therapy with peptides improves intestinal barrier function.•The expression of genes that take part in vitamin A metabolism is upregulated.•Protection is associated with Foxp3+ cells that simultaneously express RORγt. This study investigates the mechanism by which food peptides are more effective than intact allergens in providing desensitization against food allergy. BALB/c mice sensitized to egg white (EW) were subjected to oral immunotherapy (OIT) with intact and pepsin-hydrolysed EW (EP). Treatment with EP was superior to that with EW in terms of reduction of anaphylaxis and levels of specific antibodies. OIT with EP, but not with EW, modulated the microbiota by restoring the levels of some members of the order Clostridiales (clusters IV and XIVa) that were affected by sensitization. Mice treated with EP exhibited upregulated intestinal expression of Il22 and Muc2, which encode for factors that contribute to reinforce the epithelial barrier function, as well as Aldh1a1, Aldh1a2, Csf2 and Tfgb1, that take part in the conversion of vitamin A into retinoic acid. Tolerance induced by EP paralleled the development of Foxp3+ cells that simultaneously expressed RORγt.