Article

Dietary lectins can induce in vitro release of IL-4 and IL-13 from human basophils

  1. Helmut Haas1,
  2. Franco Harald Falcone1,
  3. Gabriele Schramm1,
  4. Karin Haisch1,
  5. Bernhard Frederick Gibbs2,
  6. Jens Klaucke1,
  7. Marco Pöppelmann1,
  8. Wolf-Meinhard Becker1,
  9. Hans-Joachim Gabius3,
  10. Max Schlaak1

Article first published online: 2 MAR 1999

DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1521-4141(199903)29:03<918::AID-IMMU918>3.0.CO;2-T

Issue

European Journal of Immunology

European Journal of Immunology

Volume 29, Issue 3, pages 918–927, March 1999

Additional Information

How to Cite

Haas, H., Falcone, F. H., Schramm, G., Haisch, K., Gibbs, B. F., Klaucke, J., Pöppelmann, M., Becker, W.-M., Gabius, H.-J. and Schlaak, M. (1999), Dietary lectins can induce in vitro release of IL-4 and IL-13 from human basophils. European Journal of Immunology, 29: 918–927. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1521-4141(199903)29:03<918::AID-IMMU918>3.0.CO;2-T

Author Information

  1. 1

    Forschungszentrum Borstel, Borstel, Germany

  2. 2

    Abteilung für Dermatologie, Medizinische Universität zu Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany

  3. 3

    Institut für Physiologische Chemie, Tierärztliche Fakultät, Ludwigs-Maximilians-Universität, München, Germany

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 28 MAR 2006
  2. Article first published online: 2 MAR 1999
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 22 DEC 1998
  4. Manuscript Revised: 21 DEC 1998
  5. Manuscript Received: 10 OCT 1998

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Keywords:

  • Basophil;
  • IL-4;
  • Lectin

Abstract

Dietary lectins, present in beans and other edible plant products, pose a potential threat to consumers due to their capacity to induce histamine release from basophils. In this study, we analyzed the capacity of 16 common, in particular dietary, lectins to induce human basophils to secrete IL-4 and IL-13, the key promoters of Th2 responses and IgE synthesis. Several of the lectins, especially concanavalin A, lentil lectin, phytohemagglutinin, Pisum sativum agglutinin and Sambucus nigra agglutinin, triggered basophils to release IL-4 at concentrations of up to 1 ng / 106 basophils. Lectins with high IL-4-inducing capacity also stimulated the release of IL-13 and histamine. Lectin-induced IL-4 and IL-13 release reached a maximum after 4 – 6 h and more than 18 h, respectively. Affinoblotting revealed that lectins with the capacity to induce mediator release bind to IgE, suggesting IgE binding as initial step of signal generation. In conclusion, several dietary lectins can trigger human basophils to release IL-4 and IL-13. Since lectins can enter the circulation after oral uptake, they might play a role in inducing the so-called early IL-4 required to switch the immune response towards a Th2 response and type I allergy.

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