High-dimensional immune profiles correlate with phenotypes of peanut allergy during food-allergic reactions.

BACKGROUND: Food challenges carry a burden of safety, effort and resources. Clinical reactivity and presentation, such as thresholds and symptoms, are considered challenging to predict ex vivo. AIMS: To identify changes of peripheral immune signatures during oral food challenges (OFC) that correlate with the clinical outcome in patients with peanut allergy (PA). METHODS: Children with a positive (OFC+ , n = 16) or a negative (OFC- , n = 10) OFC-outcome were included (controls, n = 7). Single-cell mass cytometry/unsupervised analysis allowed unbiased immunophenotyping during OFC. RESULTS: Peripheral immune profiles correlated with OFC outcome. OFC+ -profiles revealed mainly decreased Th2 cells, memory Treg and activated NK cells, which had an increased homing marker expression signifying immune cell migration into effector tissues along with symptom onset. OFC- -profiles had also signs of ongoing inflammation, but with a signature of a controlled response, lacking homing marker expression and featuring a concomitant increase of Th2-shifted CD4+ T cells and Treg cells. Low versus high threshold reactivity-groups had differential frequencies of intermediate monocytes and myeloid dendritic cells at baseline. Low threshold was associated with increased CD8+ T cells and reduced memory cells (central memory [CM] CD4+ [Th2] T cells, CM CD8+ T cells, Treg). Immune signatures also discriminated patients with preferential skin versus gastrointestinal symptoms, whereby skin signs correlated with increased expression of CCR4, a molecule enabling skin trafficking, on various immune cell types. CONCLUSION: We showed that peripheral immune signatures reflected dynamics of clinical outcome during OFC with peanut. Those immune alterations hold promise as a basis for predictive OFC biomarker discovery to monitor disease outcome and therapy of PA.

Allergenic risk assessment of cowpea and its cross-reactivity with pea and peanut.

BACKGROUND: Novel protein sources can represent a risk for allergic consumers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the allergenicity of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), an increasingly consumed legume and potential new industrial food ingredient which may put legume-allergic patients at risk. METHODS: Children with allergy to legumes associated to peanut (LP group: n = 13) or without peanut allergy (L group: n = 14) were recruited and sensitization to several legumes including cowpea was assessed by prick tests and detection of specific IgE (sIgE). Cowpea protein extract was analyzed by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting, IgE-reactive spots were subjected to mass spectrometry. IgE-cross-reactivity between cowpea, pea, and peanut was determined using ELISA inhibition assays. Basophil activation tests were performed to evaluate sensitivity and reactivity of patient basophils toward legumes. RESULTS: Prick tests and sIgE levels to cowpea were positive in 8/14 and 4/13 patients of the L group and in 9/13 and 10/13 patients of the LP group, respectively. Four major IgE-binding proteins were identified as vicilins and seed albumin. Cowpea extract and its vicilin fraction strongly inhibited IgE-binding to pea and peanut extract. Peanut, lentil, and pea were the strongest activators of basophils, followed by cowpea, soybean, mung bean, and lupin. CONCLUSION: A majority of patients with legume allergy were sensitized to cowpea proteins. Four novel allergens were identified in cowpea, among which storage proteins were playing an important role in IgE-cross-reactivity, exposing legume-allergic patients to the risk of clinical cross-reactivity to cowpea and thus adding cowpea to the group of nonpriority legumes that are not subjected to allergen labeling such as chickpea, pea, and lentil.

Protein changes as robust signatures of fish chronic stress: a proteomics approach to fish welfare research.

BACKGROUND: Aquaculture is a fast-growing industry and therefore welfare and environmental impact have become of utmost importance. Preventing stress associated to common aquaculture practices and optimizing the fish stress response by quantification of the stress level, are important steps towards the improvement of welfare standards. Stress is characterized by a cascade of physiological responses that, in-turn, induce further changes at the whole-animal level. These can either increase fitness or impair welfare. Nevertheless, monitorization of this dynamic process has, up until now, relied on indicators that are only a snapshot of the stress level experienced. Promising technological tools, such as proteomics, allow an unbiased approach for the discovery of potential biomarkers for stress monitoring. Within this scope, using Gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) as a model, three chronic stress conditions, namely overcrowding, handling and hypoxia, were employed to evaluate the potential of the fish protein-based adaptations as reliable signatures of chronic stress, in contrast with the commonly used hormonal and metabolic indicators. RESULTS: A broad spectrum of biological variation regarding cortisol and glucose levels was observed, the values of which rose higher in net-handled fish. In this sense, a potential pattern of stressor-specificity was clear, as the level of response varied markedly between a persistent (crowding) and a repetitive stressor (handling). Gel-based proteomics analysis of the plasma proteome also revealed that net-handled fish had the highest number of differential proteins, compared to the other trials. Mass spectrometric analysis, followed by gene ontology enrichment and protein-protein interaction analyses, characterized those as humoral components of the innate immune system and key elements of the response to stimulus. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this study represents the first screening of more reliable signatures of physiological adaptation to chronic stress in fish, allowing the future development of novel biomarker models to monitor fish welfare.

Homologous tropomyosins from vertebrate and invertebrate: Recombinant calibrator proteins in functional biological assays for tropomyosin allergenicity assessment of novel animal foods.

BACKGROUND: Novel foods may provide new protein sources for a growing world population but entail risks of unexpected food-allergic reactions. No guidance on allergenicity assessment of novel foods exists, while for genetically modified (GM) crops it includes comparison of sequence identity with known allergens, digestibility tests and IgE serum screening. OBJECTIVE: As a proof of concept, to evaluate non-/allergenic tropomyosins (TMs) regarding their potential as new calibrator proteins in functional biological in vitro assays for the semi-quantitative allergy risk assessment of novel TM-containing animal foods with mealworm TM as an example. METHODS: Purified TMs (shrimp, Penaeus monodon; chicken Gallus gallus; E coli overexpression) were compared by protein sequencing, circular dichroism analysis and in vitro digestion. IgE binding was quantified using shrimp-allergic patients' sera (ELISA). Biological activities were investigated (skin testing; titrated basophil activation tests, BAT), compared to titrated biological mediator release using humanized rat basophil leukaemia (RBL) cells. RESULTS: Shrimp and chicken TMs showed high sequence homology, both alpha-helical structures and thermal stability. Shrimp TM was stable during in vitro gastric digestion, chicken TM degraded quickly. Both TMs bound specific IgE from shrimp-allergic patients (significantly higher for shrimp TM), whereas skin reactivity was mostly positive with only shrimp TM. BAT and RBL cell assays were positive with shrimp and chicken TM, although at up to 100- to 1000-times lower allergen concentrations for shrimp than chicken TM. In RBL cell assays using both TM as calibrators, an activation of effector cells by mealworm TM similar to that by shrimp TM confirmed the already reported high allergenic potency of mealworm TM as a novel protein source. CONCLUSIONS & CLINICAL RELEVANCE: According to current GM crops' allergenicity assessment, non-allergenic chicken TM could falsely be considered an allergen on a weight-of-evidence approach. However, calibrating allergenic potency in functional BAT and RBL cell assays with clinically validated TMs allowed for semi-quantitative discrimination of novel food protein's allergenicity. With TM calibration as a proof of concept, similar systems of homologous protein might be developed to scale on an axis of allergenicity.

Diagnosis of Allergy to Mammals and Fish: Cross-Reactive vs. Specific Markers.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Allergen extracts are still widely used in allergy diagnosis as they are regarded as sensitive screening tools despite the fact that they may lack some minor allergens. Another drawback of extracts is their low specificity, which is due to the presence of cross-reactive allergens. Progress in allergen identification has disclosed a number of allergenic molecules of homologous sequence and structure which are present in different animal species. This review summarizes recent advances in mammalian and fish allergen identification and focuses on their clinical relevance. RECENT FINDINGS: Serum albumins and parvalbumins are well-known animal panallergens. More recently several members of the lipocalin family were found to be cross-reactive between furry animals whereas in fish, additional allergens, enolase, aldolase and collagen, were found to be important and cross-reactive allergens. New epidemiological studies have analysed the prevalence and clinical relevance of mammalian and fish components. Primary sensitization can be distinguished from cross-sensitization by using marker allergens. Although substantial progress has been made in allergen identification, only few markers are commercially available for routine clinical practice.

Allergenic Shrimp Tropomyosin Distinguishes from a Non-Allergenic Chicken Homolog by Pronounced Intestinal Barrier Disruption and Downstream Th2 Responses in Epithelial and Dendritic Cell (Co)Culture.

BACKGROUND: Tropomyosins (TM) from vertebrates are generally non-allergenic, while invertebrate homologs are potent pan-allergens. This study aims to compare the risk of sensitization between chicken TM and shrimp TM through affecting the intestinal epithelial barrier integrity and type 2 mucosal immune activation. METHODS: Epithelial activation and/or barrier effects upon exposure to 2-50 µg/mL chicken TM, shrimp TM or ovalbumin (OVA) as a control allergen, were studied using Caco-2, HT-29MTX, or HT-29 intestinal epithelial cells. Monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDC), cocultured with HT-29 cells or moDC alone, were exposed to 50 µg/mL chicken TM or shrimp TM. Primed moDC were cocultured with naïve Th cells. Intestinal barrier integrity (TEER), gene expression, cytokine secretion and immune cell phenotypes were determined in these human in vitro models. RESULTS: Shrimp TM, but not chicken TM or OVA exposure, profoundly disrupted intestinal barrier integrity and increased alarmin genes expression in Caco-2 cells. Proinflammatory cytokine secretion in HT-29 cells was only enhanced upon shrimp TM or OVA, but not chicken TM, exposure. Shrimp TM enhanced the maturation of moDC and chemokine secretion in the presence or absence of HT-29 cells, while only in the absence of epithelial cells chicken TM activated moDC. Direct exposure of moDC to shrimp TM increased IL13 and TNFα secretion by Th cells cocultured with these primed moDC, while shrimp TM exposure via HT-29 cells cocultured with moDC sequentially increased IL13 expression and IL4 secretion in Th cells. CONCLUSIONS: Shrimp TM, but not chicken TM, disrupted the epithelial barrier while triggering type 2 mucosal immune activation, both of which are key events in allergic sensitization.

Immune signatures predicting the clinical outcome of peanut oral immunotherapy: where we stand.

Peanut allergy is a growing health concern that can cause mild to severe anaphylaxis as well as reduced quality of life in patients and their families. Oral immunotherapy is an important therapeutic intervention that aims to reshape the immune system toward a higher threshold dose reactivity and sustained unresponsiveness in some patients. From an immunological point of view, young patients, especially those under 3 years old, seem to have the best chance for therapy success. To date, surrogate markers for therapy duration and response are evasive. We provide a comprehensive overview of the current literature state regarding immune signatures evolving over the course of oral immunotherapy as well as baseline immune conditions prior to the initiation of treatment. Although research comparing clinical and immune traits in the first years of life vs. later stages across different age groups is limited, promising insights are available on immunological endotypes among peanut-allergic patients. The available data call for continued research to fill in gaps in knowledge, possibly in an integrated manner, to design novel precision health approaches for advanced therapeutic interventions in peanut allergy.

Novel, computational IgE-clustering in a population-based cross-sectional study: Mapping the allergy burden.

BACKGROUND: Even though the prevalence of allergies is increasing, population-based data are still scarce. As a read-out for chronic inflammatory information, new methods are needed to integrate individual biological measurements and lifestyle parameters to mitigate the consequences and costs of allergic burden for society. METHODS: More than 480.000 data points were collected from 1462 Luxembourg adults during the representative, cross-sectional European Health Examination Survey, spanning health and lifestyle reports. Deep IgE-profiles based on unsupervised clustering were correlated with data of the health survey. FINDINGS: 42.6% of the participants reported a physician-diagnosed allergy and 44% were found to be IgE-positive to at least one allergen or extract. The main sensitization sources were tree pollens followed by grass pollens and mites (52.4%, 51.8% and 40.3% of sensitized participants respectively), suggesting seasonal as well as perennial burden. The youngest group of participants (25-34 years old) showed the highest burden of sensitization, with 18.2% of them having IgE to 10 or more allergen groups. Unsupervised clustering revealed that the biggest cluster of 24.4% of participants was also the one with the highest medical need, marked by their multi-sensitization to respiratory sources. INTERPRETATION: Our novel approach to analyzing large biosample datasets together with health information allows the measurement of the chronic inflammatory disease burden in the general population and led to the identification of the most vulnerable groups in need of better medical care.

Animal lipocalin allergens.

Lipocalins represent the most important group of inhalant animal allergens. For some of them, three-dimensional protein structures have been resolved, but their functions are still elusive. Lipocalins generally display a low sequence identity between family members. The characterization of new lipocalin allergens has revealed however that some of them display a high sequence identity to lipocalins from another species. They constitute a new group of potentially cross-reactive molecules which, in addition to serum albumins, may contribute to allergic cross-reactions between animal dander of different species. However, the clinical relevance of cross-reactivity needs to be assessed. Further studies are needed to understand which of these animal lipocalins are the primary allergens and which are cross-reacting molecules. The use of single, well characterized allergens for diagnosis will allow the identification of the sensitizing animal, which is a prerequisite for specific immunotherapy.

Intestinal mucus barrier: a missing piece of the puzzle in food allergy.

The prevalence of food allergies has reached epidemic levels but the cause remains largely unknown. We discuss the clinical relevance of the gut mucosal barrier as a site for allergic sensitization to food. In this context, we focus on an important but overlooked part of the mucosal barrier in pathogenesis, the glycoprotein-rich mucus layer, and call attention to both beneficial and detrimental aspects of mucus-gut microbiome interactions. Studying the intricate links between the mucus barrier, the associated bacteria, and the mucosal immune system may advance our understanding of the mechanisms and inform prevention and treatment strategies in food allergy.

Fish Allergenicity Modulation Using Tailored Enriched Diets-Where Are We?

Food allergy is an abnormal immune response to specific proteins in a certain food. The chronicity, prevalence, and the potential fatality of food allergy, make it a serious socio-economic problem. Fish is considered the third most allergenic food in the world, affecting part of the world population with a higher incidence in children and adolescents. The main allergen in fish, responsible for the large majority of fish-allergic reactions in sensitized patients, is a small and stable calcium-binding muscle protein named beta-parvalbumin. Targeting the expression or/and the 3D conformation of this protein by adding specific molecules to fish diets has been the innovative strategy of some researchers in the fields of fish allergies and nutrition. This has shown promising results, namely when the apo-form of ß-parvalbumin is induced, leading in the case of gilthead seabream to a 50% reduction of IgE-reactivity in fish allergic patients.

Mammalian derived lipocalin and secretoglobin respiratory allergens strongly bind ligands with potentially immune modulating properties.

Allergens from furry animals frequently cause sensitization and respiratory allergic diseases. Most relevant mammalian respiratory allergens belong either to the protein family of lipocalins or secretoglobins. Their mechanism of sensitization remains largely unresolved. Mammalian lipocalin and secretoglobin allergens are associated with a function in chemical communication that involves abundant secretion into the environment, high stability and the ability to transport small volatile compounds. These properties are likely to contribute concomitantly to their allergenic potential. In this study, we aim to further elucidate the physiological function of lipocalin and secretoglobin allergens and link it to their sensitizing capacity, by analyzing their ligand-binding characteristics. We produced eight major mammalian respiratory allergens from four pet species in E.coli and compared their ligand-binding affinities to forty-nine ligands of different chemical classes by using a fluorescence-quenching assay. Furthermore, we solved the crystal-structure of the major guinea pig allergen Cav p 1, a typical lipocalin. Recombinant lipocalin and secretoglobin allergens are of high thermal stability with melting temperatures ranging from 65 to 90°C and strongly bind ligands with dissociation constants in the low micromolar range, particularly fatty acids, fatty alcohols and the terpene alcohol farnesol, that are associated with potential semiochemical and/or immune-modulating functions. Through the systematic screening of respiratory mammalian lipocalin and secretoglobin allergens with a large panel of potential ligands, we observed that total amino acid composition, as well as cavity shape and volume direct affinities to ligands of different chemical classes. Therefore, we were able to categorize lipocalin allergens over their ligand-binding profile into three sub-groups of a lipocalin clade that is associated with functions in chemical communication, thus strengthening the function of major mammalian respiratory allergens as semiochemical carriers. The promiscuous binding capability of hydrophobic ligands from environmental sources warrants further investigation regarding their impact on a molecule's allergenicity.

Fish Processing and Digestion Affect Parvalbumins Detectability in Gilthead Seabream and European Seabass.

Consumption of aquatic food, including fish, accounts for 17% of animal protein intake. However, fish consumption might also result in several side-effects such as sneezing, swelling and anaphylaxis in sensitized consumers. Fish allergy is an immune reaction to allergenic proteins in the fish muscle, for instance parvalbumin (PV), considered the major fish allergen. In this study, we characterize PV in two economically important fish species for southern European aquaculture, namely gilthead seabream and European seabass, to understand its stability during in vitro digestion and fish processing. This information is crucial for future studies on the allergenicity of processed fish products. PVs were extracted from fish muscles, identified by mass spectrometry (MS), and detected by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) after simulated digestion and various food processing treatments. Secondary structures were determined by circular dichroism (CD) after purification by anion exchange and gel filtration chromatography. In both species, PVs presented as α-helical and ß-sheet structures, at room temperature, were shown to unfold at boiling temperatures. In European seabass, PV detectability decreased during the simulated digestion and after 240 min (intestinal phase) no detection was observed, while steaming showed a decrease (p < 0.05) in PVs detectability in comparison to raw muscle samples, for both species. Additionally, freezing (−20 °C) for up to 12 months continued to reduce the detectability of PV in tested processing techniques. We concluded that PVs from both species are susceptible to digestion and processing techniques such as steaming and freezing. Our study obtained preliminary results for further research on the allergenic potential of PV after digestion and processing.

Effect of creatine and EDTA supplemented diets on European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) allergenicity, fish muscle quality and omics fingerprint.

The relatively easy access to fish worldwide, alongside the increase of aquaculture production contributes to increased fish consumption which result in higher prevalence of respective allergies. Allergies to fish constitute a significant concern worldwide. ß-parvalbumin is the main elicitor for IgE-mediated reactions. Creatine, involved in the muscle energy metabolism, and ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), a calcium chelator, are potential molecules to modulate parvalbumin. The purpose of this study was to test creatine (2, 5 and 8%) and EDTA (1.5, 3 and 4.5%) supplementation in fish diets to modulate ß-parvalbumin expression and structure and its allergenicity in farmed European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) while assessing its effects on the end-product quality. Fish welfare and muscle quality parameters were evaluated by plasma metabolites, rigor mortis, muscle pH and sensory and texture analysis. Proteomics was used to assess alterations in muscle proteome profile and metabolic fingerprinting by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to assess the liver metabolic profile. In addition, IgE-reactivity to parvalbumin was analysed using fish allergic patient sera. Metabolic fingerprinting of liver tissue revealed no major alterations in infrared spectra with creatine supplementation, while with EDTA, only absorption bands characteristic of lipids were altered. Comparative proteomics showed up regulation of (tropo) myosin and phosphoglycerate mutase 2 with Creatine supplementation. In the case of EDTA proteomics showed up regulation of proteins involved in cellular and ion homeostasis. Allergenicity seems not to be modulated with creatine or EDTA supplementation as no decreased expression levels were found and IgE-binding reactivity showed no quantitative differences.

Are Physicochemical Properties Shaping the Allergenic Potency of Plant Allergens?

This review searched for published evidence that could explain how different physicochemical properties impact on the allergenicity of food proteins and if their effects would follow specific patterns among distinct protein families. Owing to the amount and complexity of the collected information, this literature overview was divided in two articles, the current one dedicated to protein families of plant allergens and a second one focused on animal allergens. Our extensive analysis of the available literature revealed that physicochemical characteristics had consistent effects on protein allergenicity for allergens belonging to the same protein family. For example, protein aggregation contributes to increased allergenicity of 2S albumins, while for legumins and cereal prolamins, the same phenomenon leads to a reduction. Molecular stability, related to structural resistance to heat and proteolysis, was identified as the most common feature promoting plant protein allergenicity, although it fails to explain the potency of some unstable allergens (e.g. pollen-related food allergens). Furthermore, data on physicochemical characteristics translating into clinical effects are limited, mainly because most studies are focused on in vitro IgE binding. Clinical data assessing how these parameters affect the development and clinical manifestation of allergies is minimal, with only few reports evaluating the sensitising capacity of modified proteins (addressing different physicochemical properties) in murine allergy models. In vivo testing of modified pure proteins by SPT or DBPCFC is scarce. At this stage, a systematic approach to link the physicochemical properties with clinical plant allergenicity in real-life scenarios is still missing.

Are Physicochemical Properties Shaping the Allergenic Potency of Animal Allergens?

Key determinants for the development of an allergic response to an otherwise 'harmless' food protein involve different factors like the predisposition of the individual, the timing, the dose, the route of exposure, the intrinsic properties of the allergen, the food matrix (e.g. lipids) and the allergen modification by food processing. Various physicochemical parameters can have an impact on the allergenicity of animal proteins. Following our previous review on how physicochemical parameters shape plant protein allergenicity, the same analysis was proceeded here for animal allergens. We found that each parameter can have variable effects, ranging on an axis from allergenicity enhancement to resolution, depending on its nature and the allergen. While glycosylation and phosphorylation are common, both are not universal traits of animal allergens. High molecular structures can favour allergenicity, but structural loss and uncovering hidden epitopes can also have a similar impact. We discovered that there are important knowledge gaps in regard to physicochemical parameters shaping protein allergenicity both from animal and plant origin, mainly because the comparability of the data is poor. Future biomolecular studies of exhaustive, standardised design together with strong validation part in the clinical context, together with data integration model systems will be needed to unravel causal relationships between physicochemical properties and the basis of protein allergenicity.

Identification of Potentially Tolerated Fish Species by Multiplex IgE Testing of a Multinational Fish-Allergic Patient Cohort.

BACKGROUND: Although recent studies indicated that many fish-allergic patients may safely consume certain fish species, no clinical guidelines are available for identification of the exact species tolerated by specific patients. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether multiplex immunoglobulin E (IgE) testing reveals potentially tolerated fish through absence of IgE to parvalbumin (PV) and extracts from specific species. METHODS: Sera from 263 clinically well-defined fish-allergic patients from Austria, China, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, and Spain were used in a research version of the ALEX2 multiplex IgE quantification assay. Specific IgE to PVs from 10 fish species (9 bony and 1 cartilaginous), and to extracts from 7 species was quantified. The IgE signatures of individual patients and patient groups were analyzed using SPSS and R. RESULTS: Up to 38% of the patients were negative to cod PV, the most commonly used molecule in fish allergy diagnosis. Forty-five patients (17%) tested negative to PVs but positive to the respective fish extracts, underlining the requirement for extracts for accurate diagnosis. Between 60% (Spain) and 90% (Luxembourg) of the patients were negative to PV and extracts from ray, a cartilaginous fish, indicating its potential tolerance. Up to 21% of the patients were negative to at least 1 bony fish species. Of the species analyzed, negativity to mackerel emerged as the best predictive marker of negativity to additional bony fish, such as herring and swordfish. CONCLUSIONS: Parvalbumins and extracts from multiple fish species relevant for consumption should be used in fish-allergy diagnosis, which may help identify potentially tolerated species for individual patients.

Assessment of the effects of a work-related allergy to seafood on the reduction of earning capacity in the context of BK No. 5101.

Fish, crustaceans, and mollusks are among the most potent allergenic foods of animal origin and are thus important triggers of work-related immediate-food allergies. In Germany, work-related seafood allergies are of great importance in the fishing and processing industries as well as in the areas of food preparation, food control, and food sales. There is no causal therapy of seafood allergy, only the strict and lifelong avoidance of allergens remains. The following recommendations serve to assess the impact of a seafood allergy with regard to the work opportunities ended by it for the assessment of the reduction of earning capacity (MdE (German for Minderung der Erwerbsfähigkeit)) in the context of the occupational disease number 5101 of the Annex to the German regulation for occupational diseases. As a special feature of work-related seafood allergy with regard to insurance law aspects, it must be taken into account that there is a potential risk of systemic reaction with subsequent multi-organ involvement. For the estimation of MdE in the general labor market, the impact of a seafood allergy can therefore be assessed, depending on its clinical severity, as generally "mild" to "severe" in justified individual cases.