Associate Professor Michigan State University East Lansing, Michigan, United States
Disclosure(s):
Venugopal Gangur, DVM, MVSC, PHD: No financial relationships to disclose
Introduction/Rationale: Gluten allergy is a growing global disease affecting individuals with high risk of potentially deadly anaphylactic reactions. The relative intrinsic allergenicity of glutens from the three commercially grown wheat species (Diploid Triticum monococcum, tetraploid Triticum durum, hexaploid Triticum aestivum) is unknown. Here, using a recently described adjuvant-free mouse model, we tested the hypothesis that the three different wheat species will exhibit natural variation in their gluten allergenicity.
Methods: Groups of Balb/c mice (n=10/group) were transdermally sensitized to alcohol-soluble or acid-soluble gluten extracts followed by elicitation of systemic anaphylaxis. Initial studies were performed to validate the model for glutens from the three wheat species. Sensitization was measured by specific IgE levels. Anaphylaxis was measured by rectal thermometry. Mucosal mast cell response was quantified by measuring MMCP-1 elevation in the blood.
Results: Both glutens from all three wheat species elicited robust sIgE responses, as well as systemic anaphylaxis. However, comparative mapping analysis revealed differences in capacity to elicit sIgE among the three wheat species with T. aestivum being the most potent in both gluten extracts. Hypothermic shock response (HSR) analysis revealed that the three species elicited similar kinetics and intensity of anaphylaxis. Nevertheless, when analyzing Mucosal Mast Cell Response (MMCR), it was revealed that the glutens from T. aestivum (hexaploid) emerged as the most potent elicitor.
Conclusion: Collectively, these results yield a comparative map of the natural variation in intrinsic allergenicity potencies of the three consumed wheat glutens for the first time. This map may be utilized for: i) quantitative comparison the allergenic potential of glutens from genetically engineered wheats and processed wheat products against existing wheat glutens; and ii) the identification of potentially hyper/hypo/iso-allergenic species/varieties of wheats.
