Research

Impact on allergic immune response after treatment with vitamin A

Victor Matheu^1,2 , Karin Berggård^1,3 , Yvelise Barrios⁴ , Ysamar Barrios⁵ , Maria-Rosa Arnau⁶ , Jose M Zubeldia⁷ , Maria L Baeza⁷ , Ove Back³ and Shohreh Issazadeh-Navikas^1,8

¹Department of Clinical Sciences-Division IV; Lund University, Lund, Sweden

²Allergy Service, Hospital Universitario NS Candelaria, S/C Tenerife, Spain

³Dermatology & Venereology, Department of Clinical Sciences-Division III Lund University; Lund, Sweden

⁴Immunology Section, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, La Laguna Spain

⁵Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, La Laguna, Spain

⁶Estabulario Central, Universidad de La Laguna, Spain

⁷Allergy Service, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain

⁸Biotech Research & Innovation Centre, Copenhagen University, Denmark

author email corresponding author email

Nutrition & Metabolism 2009, 6:44doi:10.1186/1743-7075-6-44

Published:	23 October 2009

Abstract

Background

Vitamin A may have some influence on the immune system, but the role in allergy modulation is still unclear.

Objective

To clarify whether high levels of retinoic acid (RA) affects allergic response in vivo, we used a murine experimental model of airway allergic disease.

Methods

Ovalbumin (OVA)-immunization/OVA-challenge (OVA/OVA) and house dust mite (HDM)-immunization/HDM-challenge (HDM/HDM) experimental murine models of allergic airway disease, using C57Bl.10/Q groups of mice (n = 10) treated subcutaneously with different concentrations of all-trans RA (0, 50, 500 and 2,500 ug) every 2-days were used to assess the allergic immune response.

Results

Levels of total and specific-IgE in sera were increased in all groups of RA treated OVA/OVA and HDM/HDM mice. Percentage and total amount of recruited eosinophil in airways by bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were significantly enhanced in groups treated with 50, 500 and 2,500 ug of RA compared to non-treated mice. However, the group of mice treated with 2,500 ug had less eosinophil recruitment than the other two groups (50 and 500 ug). In parallel, levels of IL-5 and total IgE in BALF were also significantly diminished in the group treated with 2,500 ug compared to the other 2 groups (50 and 500 ug). Finally, total lung resistance was decreased in group treated with 2,500 ug compared to non-treated mice.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that retinoic acid directly enhances allergic response in vivo, but in higher doses may produce of immune suppression.