Background: The causal relation between egg allergy and cytokines derived from lymphocytes is unknown.
Objective: Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) production of ovalbumin-stimulated and interleukin-2 (IL-2)-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells from egg-sensitive patients was investigated and compared with that of stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells from nonatopic healthy children.
Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from egg-sensitive patients and nonatopic healthy children were cultured with ovalbumin and IL-2 for seven days. The IFN-gamma and IL-4 concentrations in culture supernatants of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells were investigated.
Results: The levels of IFN-gamma production of only IL-2-stimulated or both ovalbumin-stimulated and IL-2-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells from egg-sensitive patients with atopic dermatitis was significantly higher than that of healthy children and that of egg-sensitive patients with immediate allergic symptoms.
Conclusions: Increased IFN-gamma production by lymphocytes after IL-2 and antigen stimulation has important implications for the mechanism of food-sensitive atopic dermatitis.