Abstract
More than 40% of allergic patients suffer from grass pollen allergy. Phl p 1, the major timothy grass pollen allergen, belongs to the cross-reactive group 1 grass pollen allergens that are thought to initiate allergic sensitization to grass pollen. Repeated allergen encounter boosts allergen-specific IgE production and enhances clinical sensitivity in patients. To investigate immunological mechanisms underlying the boosting of allergen-specific secondary IgE Ab responses and the allergen epitopes involved, a murine model for Phl p 1 was established. A B cell epitope-derived peptide of Phl p 1 devoid of allergen-specific T cell epitopes, as recognized by BALB/c mice, was fused to an allergen-unrelated carrier in the form of a recombinant fusion protein and used for sensitization. This fusion protein allowed the induction of allergen-specific IgE Ab responses without allergen-specific T cell help. Allergen-specific Ab responses were subsequently boosted with molecules containing the B cell epitope-derived peptide without carrier or linked to other allergen-unrelated carriers. Oligomeric peptide bound to a carrier different from that which had been used for sensitization boosted allergen-specific secondary IgE responses without a detectable allergen-specific T cell response. Our results indicate that allergen-specific secondary IgE Ab responses can be boosted by repetitive B cell epitopes without allergen-specific T cell help by cross-linking of the B cell epitope receptor. This finding has important implications for the design of new allergy vaccines.