Evaluation by double-blind placebo-controlled oral challenge of the clinical relevance of IgE antibodies against plant glycans.

Background: The clinical relevance of immunoglobulin E (IgE) to plant glycans is a longstanding debate. We sought to evaluate their clinical reactivity using the human glycoprotein lactoferrin expressed in rice.

Methods: Allergic patients with IgE antibodies against plant glycans were analyzed for the presence of IgE against rice-produced lactoferrin. The potency of IgE to induce mediator release was assessed by basophil histamine release and skin prick tests (SPTs). Clinical relevance was evaluated by double-blind placebo-controlled oral challenge (DBPCOC).

Results: Twenty-four of 29 sera (82.7%) with IgE antibodies against plant glycans demonstrated IgE binding to transgenic lactoferrin. In three of five cases transgenic lactoferrin induced histamine release. Compared to a control major grass pollen allergen lactoferrin concentrations needed for biological activity of IgE were 5-6 orders of magnitude higher. Skin prick test and DBPCOC were negative in five patients with potential clinical reactivity that volunteered to undergo these in vivo challenges.

Conclusions: Poor or no biological activity and lack of clinical relevance of IgE-binding plant glycans (five out of five) was demonstrated using human lactoferrin expressed in rice as a model.