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The treatment of dyspeptic disorders with anti-acids leads to an increased risk of sensitization against food allergens. As these drugs are taken by 30-50% of pregnant women due to reflux and heart-burn, we aimed here to investigate the impact of maternal therapy with anti-acids on the immune response in the offspring in a murine model. Codfish extract as model allergen was fed with or without sucralfate, an anti-acid drug, to pregnant BALB/c mice during pregnancy and lactation. These mothers developed a codfish-specific allergic response shown as high IgG1 and IgE antibody levels and positive skin tests. In the next step we analyzed whether this maternal sensitization impacts a subsequent sensitization in the offspring. Indeed, in stimulated splenocytes of these offspring we found a relative Th2-dominance, because the Th1- and T-regulatory cytokines were significantly suppressed. Our data provide evidence that the anti-acid drug sucralfate supports sensitization against food in pregnant mice and favors a Th2-milieu in their offspring. From these results we propose that anti-acid treatment during pregnancy could be responsible for the increasing number of sensitizations against food allergens in young infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study on the ability of anti-ulcer drugs to promote immunoglobulin (IgE) formation toward dietary antigens in adult patients. Therapy that resulted in an increase in food-specific IgE in 25 percent of all treated patients; Experiments used to predict the allergenicity of food antigens through their resistance to gastric digestion; Foods in which the most resistant proteins were found.