1. Therapeutic DNA vaccine attenuates itching and allergic inflammation in mice with established biting midge allergy.
- Author
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Lee MF, Chen YH, Song PP, and Lin TM
- Subjects
- Animals, Disease Models, Animal, Female, Freund's Adjuvant administration & dosage, Freund's Adjuvant immunology, Hypersensitivity etiology, Hypersensitivity immunology, Immunoglobulin E blood, Insect Bites and Stings immunology, Insect Proteins immunology, Interleukin-13 metabolism, Interleukin-4 metabolism, Interleukins metabolism, Mice, Mice, Inbred BALB C, Pruritus immunology, Taiwan, Vaccines, DNA immunology, Ceratopogonidae immunology, Hypersensitivity drug therapy, Insect Bites and Stings drug therapy, Insect Proteins genetics, Pruritus drug therapy, Vaccines, DNA administration & dosage
- Abstract
Forcipomyia taiwana is a tiny hematophagous midge that attacks en masse. It is responsible for the most prevalent biting insect allergy in Taiwan. For t 2 is its major allergen. The intense itchy reactions can prevent allergic individuals from performing their regular daily outdoor activities. This study aimed to investigate whether the For t 2 DNA vaccine was effective in treating mice with established biting midge allergy. Mice were sensitized with recombinant For t 2 proteins or whole midge extracts. Two to four consecutive shots of various concentrations of For t 2 DNA vaccine, with or without CpG adjuvants, were then administered to midge-sensitized mice. Mice that received two shots of 50-100 μg For t 2 DNA vaccine showed a significant reduction in allergen-induced bouts of scratching, For t 2-specific IgE, specific IgG1/IgG2a ratio in sera, skin eosinophil infiltration, and IL-31 production, as well as IL-4 and IL-13 production by splenocytes. Two doses of For t 2 DNA vaccine one week apart was sufficient to treat mice with established biting midge allergy. The treatment resulted in clinical, immunological, and histopathological improvements. We recommend that this low-cost, convenient treatment strategy be developed for use in humans who are allergic to biting midges., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
- Published
- 2020
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