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Maternal peanut exposure during pregnancy and lactation reduces peanut allergy risk in offspring

Iván López-Expósito1, Ying Song, Kirsi M Järvinen

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029-6574, USA.

The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
|November 10, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Maternal allergy increases offspring’s risk for peanut allergy (PNA). Low-dose maternal peanut exposure during pregnancy and lactation significantly reduced this risk and peanut sensitization in a murine model.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Allergy Research
  • Maternal-Fetal Health

Background:

  • Maternal allergy is a suspected risk factor for childhood peanut allergy (PNA).
  • Direct evidence for maternal transmission of PNA susceptibility is lacking.
  • The impact of maternal peanut exposure on offspring PNA development remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if maternal PNA influences offspring reactions to initial peanut exposure.
  • To investigate if maternal low-dose peanut intake during gestation and lactation affects offspring's PNA reactions and sensitization in mice.

Main Methods:

  • Offspring from peanut allergy mothers (PNA-Ms) were challenged with peanut at 5 weeks old.
  • PNA-Ms received low-dose peanut (PNA-M/PN) or no peanut (PNA-M/none) during pregnancy/lactation.
  • Offspring sensitization was assessed by peanut-specific antibody levels.

Main Results:

  • Offspring of PNA-Ms showed anaphylaxis upon first peanut exposure.
  • Maternal low-dose peanut exposure (PNA-M/PN) reduced offspring’s first-exposure reactions and peanut sensitization (decreased IgE).
  • PNA-M/PN offspring exhibited increased IgG(2a) and reduced splenocyte cytokine production.

Conclusions:

  • This study demonstrates maternal transmission of susceptibility to first-exposure peanut reactions and sensitization.
  • Maternal low-dose peanut exposure during pregnancy and lactation mitigates this susceptibility in offspring.
Abstract

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