Browsing by Subject "allergy"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    b-Glucosylceramides and Tocopherols Regulate Development and Function of Dendritic Cells
    (American Association of Immunologists, 2022-11-15) Lajiness, Jacquelyn D.; Amarsaikhan, Nansalmaa; Tat, Kiet; Tsoggerel, Angar; Cook-Mills, Joan M.; Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine
    In humans and mice, offspring of allergic mothers are predisposed to development of allergy. In mice, allergic mothers have elevated β-glucosylceramides (βGlcCers) that are transported to the fetus via the placenta and to offspring via milk. The elevated βGlcCers increase numbers of fetal liver CD11c+CD11b+ dendritic cells (DCs) and offspring allergen-induced lung eosinophilia. These effects are modifiable by maternal dietary supplementation with the plant-derived lipids α-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol. It is not known whether βGlcCers and tocopherols directly regulate development of DCs. In this study, we demonstrated that βGlcCers increased development of GM-CSF-stimulated mouse bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs) in vitro without altering expression of costimulatory molecules. This increase in BMDC numbers was blocked by α-tocopherol and potentiated by γ-tocopherol. Furthermore, βGlcCers increased PKCα and PKCδ activation in BMDCs that was blocked by α-tocopherol. In contrast, γ-tocopherol increased BMDC PKCα and PKCδ activation and enhanced the βGlcCer-induced increase in PKCδ activation in a DC subset. Antigen processing per DC was minimally enhanced in βGlcCer-treated BMDCs and not altered ex vivo in lung DCs from pups of allergic mothers. Pups of allergic mothers had an increased proportion of CD11b+CD11c+ subsets of DCs, contributing to enhanced stimulation of T cell proliferation ex vivo. Thus, βGlcCer, which is both necessary and sufficient for development of allergic predisposition in offspring of allergic mothers, directly increased development and PKC activation in BMDCs. Furthermore, this was modifiable by dietary tocopherols. This may inform design of future studies for the prevention or intervention in asthma and allergic disease.
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    Interleukin-13 Is Unlucky for Allergy Sufferers
    (Elsevier, 2019-10) Xie, Markus M.; Dent, Alexander L.; Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine
    Anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction, is dependent on high affinity allergen-specific IgE. Gowthaman et al . now show that a new interleukin (IL)-13-expressing T helper cell subset specifically promotes high-affinity IgE responses. The discovery of T follicular helper (Tfh)13 cells defines potential new targets for allergy therapies.
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    Management of food allergy in the school setting
    (OceanSide, 2020-09-01) Huddleston, Christina M.; Kloepfer, Kirsten M.; Jin, Jay J.; Vitalpur, Girish V.; Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    Food allergy is a growing health and safety concern that affects up to 8% of school-age children. Because children spend a significant part of their day in school, and the overall number of school-age children with food allergy has been increasing, management of food allergies relies on the collaboration of allergists, families, and schools to treat and prevent acute allergic reactions. For schools, this involves policies centered on food allergen avoidance, preparedness with epinephrine autoinjectors, adequate school personnel training, and accommodations for an equal opportunity learning environment. Partnerships with allergists, primary care providers, students, families, school nurses, and school staff are vital for creating individualized and effective care plans that will allow all children, including those with food allergies, a safe and nurturing learning environment.