Oral Immunotherapy Induces Shift in lncRNA Expression Modulating Allergen-Specific Immune Responses

Previously, we reported the success of egg oral immunotherapy (OIT) in liberating most participants from dietary restrictions. The diminishing symptoms and declining inflammation were accompanied by differential expression of genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 50 egg-allergic children following 8 months of OIT.

Here, we explore the impact of OIT on long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) expression and its downstream effects on allergen-specific immune response with the help of PBMC transcriptome, co-expression gene module identification, pathway enrichment analyses and in vitro stimulation in both PBMC and THP1 cells.

We observed 17 lncRNAs which correlated positively with genes involved in IL-13, IL-4, and IL-10 signaling pathways. The same set of lncRNAs correlated negatively with genes playing a role in neutrophil degranulation, phagosome formation, and pyroptosis signaling. The expression of one of the most important lncRNAs, LOC644727, was found to align with CXCL8 expression in egg extract-stimulated PBMCs and LPS-stimulated THP1-derived macrophages.

Our results highlight the involvement of lncRNA in the regulation of gene expression during OIT. LOC644727 may serve as a potential marker for inflammatory responses and it may offer a therapeutic target for future desensitization protocols.