Heidrun Hochwallner
,
Division of Immunopathology, Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
Ulrike Schulmeister
,
Department of Medical & Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
Ines Swoboda
,
Division of Immunopathology, Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
Margarete Focke-Tejkl
,
Division of Immunopathology, Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
Renate Reininger
,
Department of Medical & Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
Vera Civaj
,
Department of Medical & Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
Raffaela Campana
,
Division of Immunopathology, Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
Josef Thalhamer
,
Christian Doppler Laboratory for Allergy Diagnosis & Therapy, Department of Molecular Biology, University of Salzburg, Austria
Sandra Scheiblhofer
,
Christian Doppler Laboratory for Allergy Diagnosis & Therapy, Department of Molecular Biology, University of Salzburg, Austria
Nadja Balic
,
Department of Medical & Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
Friedrich Horak
,
Allergy Centre Vienna West, Vienna, Austria
Markus Ollert, MD
,
Clinical Research Group Molecular Allergology, Center of Allergy and Environment Munich (ZAUM), Technische Universität München (TUM), and Institute for Allergy Research, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Germany
Chris E. Brightling
,
Allergy Research Center, 2nd Pediatric Clinic, University of Athens, Greece, and Center for Pediatrics and Child Health, Institute of Human Development, University of Manchester, United Kingdom
Santiago Quirce
,
Department of Allergy, Hospital La Paz Institute for Health Research (IdiPAZ), Madrid, Spain
Zsolt Szepfalusi
,
Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
Udo Herz
,
Mead Johnson Nutrition Gmbh, Evansville, IN
Eric AF Van Tol
,
Mead Johnson Nutrition Gmbh, Evansville, IN
Susanne Spitzauer
,
Department of Medical & Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
Rudolf Valenta
,
Division of Immunopathology, Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Background: Many hydrolyzed cow’s milk (CM) formulas are available for avoidance of allergic reactions in cow’s milk allergic children and for prevention of allergy development in high risk infants.
CM formulas were compared regarding the presence of immunoreactive CM components, IgE reactivity, allergenic activity, ability to induce T cell proliferation and allergic or pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion.
Methods: Using biochemical techniques and antibody probes highly specific for seven different cow’s milk allergens, a blinded analysis of a panel of eight cow’s milk formulas, one non-hydrolyzed, two partially hydrolyzed, four extensively hydrolyzed and one amino acid formula, was conducted. IgE reactivity and allergenic activity of the formulas were tested with sera from cow’s milk allergic patients (n=26) in RAST-based assays and with rat basophils transfected with the human FcεRI, respectively. Furthermore, the induction of T cell proliferation and the secretion of a panel of cytokines in PBMC cultures from cow’s milk allergic patients and non-allergic individuals were assessed.
Results: Immune-reactive whey proteins (alpha-lactalbumin, beta-lactoglobulin) were found in the two partially hydrolyzed formulas and casein components in one of the extensively hydrolyzed formulas. One partially hydrolyzed formula and the extensively hydrolyzed formula containing casein components showed remaining IgE reactivity whereas the other hydrolyzed formulas lacked IgE reactivity. Interestingly, only two extensively hydrolyzed formulas and the amino acid formula did not induce T cell proliferation and pro-inflammatory cytokine release whereas the remaining formulas varied regarding the induction of Th2, Th1 and pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Conclusions:The investigated CM formulas showed a great variability regarding the presence of immunogenic CM components, IgE reactivity, allergenic activity and induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines. These results of our study may explain different outcomes obtained in clinical studies using CM formulas for prevention and treatment and they show that certain CM formulas without allergenic and low pro-inflammatory properties can be identified.
This study was supported by research grants from the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), project P25921-B21, F4605 and by research grants from Biomay AG, Vienna, Austria and Mead Johnson Nutrition, Evansville, USA.
