Abstract
The pathogenetic mechanisms of CMA are unknown. To elucidate the function of immunoregulatory lymphocytes in this disorder, activity of non-specific and cow's milk-induced suppressor cells was studied and their capacity to generate IFN-gamma was evaluated. The study comprised 28 infants, aged from 2.6 to 60.0 months, who had CMA manifested with skin (n=8) or gastrointestinal (n=6) symptoms, or were studied as controls. Isolated lymphocytes were induced by Con A or cow's milk and their ability to suppress the T-cell proliferative response of a healthy person was studied by co-culture. The IFN-gamma production was evaluated by ELISA from culture supernatants. The Table illustrates the mean [95% CI] suppression and antigen-induced IFN-gamma production in study patients.
The suppression induced by Con A or cow's milk was significantly lower in patients who had CMA, when compared with that of controls; F=13.1, p=0.0001 and F=10.4, p=0.0001, respectively. Lack of suppression was comparable in CMA patients with skin or gastrointestinal symptoms. The generation of IFN-gamma was absent in CMA indicating insufficiency in T-cell function. We conclude that lack of normal suppression may be caused by delayed maturation of suppressor cell function in CMA. This defect may further lead to a disturbance in the control of T-cell activation. These novel findings may explain the natural history of this disease.
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Suomalainen, H., Isolauri, E. & Soppi, E. SUPPRESSOR CELL ACTIVITY AND INTERFERON-GAMMA (IFN-GAMMA) PRODUCTION ARE DEFECTIVE IN COW'S MILK ALLERGY (CMA). Pediatr Res 32, 611 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199211000-00038
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199211000-00038