Evaluation of the efficiency of hydrolyzed whey formula to prevent cow’s milk allergy in the BALB/c mouse model (1)
When Treg cells are not functional or not induced, immune‐related disorders may occur, such as food allergy (FA) that results from uncontrolled activation of food protein‐specific Th2 cells, but also probably Th9 and Th22 cells.
In 75% of IgE‐mediated CMA patients, which is still found in more than 50% of the CM‐allergic patients, are sensitized to several cow’s milk proteins such as proteins from whey (eg, β‐lactoglobulin (BLG), α‐lactalbumin, lactoferrin) or from casein (CAS) fraction (ie, αs1‐, αs2‐, β‐, κ‐casein). Large peptides generated from BLG were still efficient to induce tolerance, whereas products derived from extensive proteolysis of BLG, leading to small peptides and probably lacking T cell epitopes, were no more tolerogenic.
Mice pre‐treated with PBS and then exposed to CM and CT (PBS+) demonstrated high levels of BLG‐ and CAS‐specific IgE and IgG1 after the sensitization phase, which were further increased after CM chronic exposure. A concomitant significant pro‐ duction of BLG‐ and CAS‐specific IgG2a antibodies was also observed after the chronic exposure. Intragastric pre‐treatment of mice with standard infant for‐ mula totally prevented further induction of BLG‐ or CAS‐specific IgE, which was sustained even after chronic exposure to CM.
A significant increase in mMCP‐1 concentration was observed in the PBS+ group after the challenge per‐ formed after the sensitization phase, which was further enhanced when challenge was performed after the chronic exposure to CM.
Splenocytes from the PBS+ mice cultured ex vivo with BLG or CAS produced high levels of IL‐5 and IL‐13, associated with IFN‐γ, IL‐17, and IL‐10.
The whey hydrolysate does not contain relevant levels of CAS‐derived proteins or polypeptides (estimated around 0.8% of total proteins in the pHWF used, as assessed using an in‐house competitive ELISA.