Sensitization of Mice with Olive Pollen Allergen Ole e 1 Induces a Th2 Response (1)
The major allergen of olive pollen is Ole e 1, a polymorphic glycoprotein of 145 amino acids which is recognized by more than 70% of patients allergic to this pollen.
BALB/c mice were intraperitoneally immunized with nOle e 1 in Al(OH)3 4 times at weekly intervals and their allergic state was determined. nOle e 1-sensitized mice developed high levels of specific IgE and IgG1 antibodies in sera, starting on the 13th and 20th day, respectively, after the first immunization and peaking on the 28th day. The enhancement of anti-nOle e 1 IgE antibody levels was parallel to the increase in total IgE concentra- tion in the animals’ sera, at around 27 times that of the nonsensitized mice.
Spleen cells from sensitized mice showed a significant dose-dependent proliferative re- sponse to rOle e 1 stimulation, but not those from control mice. Similarly, significant IL-4 levels were de- tected in nOle e 1-stimulated cultures (22 +/- 6 pg/ml) when compared with nonstimulated cells (< 5 pg/ml).
Mice were immunized with rOle e 1 and serum sam- ples were tested for IgE levels and for IgG1 cross-reactivi- ty with nOle e 1. Immunization with rOle e 1 induced IgE synthesis, and the overall levels were higher in nOle e 1-sensitized mice compared to mice immunized with rOle e 1. The differences observed in the IgE levels could be due to either the polymorphic nature of Ole e 1 or the N-glycan group of the allergen.
