A variation in reactivity levels was found, with the same effector cells (effector A) showing higher

reactivity, as in the previous experiment. The results given are for the ADCC activity with NK values (reactivity without antibodies) subtracted. CD8+ selleck chemicals cells were also tested as effector cells and, as expected, the activity without antibodies was overall at a negligible level, although with low, yet detectable ADCC activity for effector A cells and anti-HERV-H/F Gag antibodies. The results for both types of effector cells are shown in Fig. 5 both as increments where results with preimmune sera are subtracted from the results with immune sera and also as the value in folds (immune sera/preimmune sera). We find that increments are the most accurate and instructive values, as artificially increased values may result from calculating folds, when the denominator is below 1·0. The causative agent(s) initiating MS continues to evade exposure of their nature. The processes leading to cell death are also incompletely understood, although parts of the process are known, thus offering possibilities for different types of intervention in the course or the symptoms of the disease. Cytotoxicity reactions are not investigated greatly, either for the types of possible effector cells or for the antibodies/epitopes involved, although these reactions

may play a significant role in MS pathogenesis by killing CNS cells expressing the epitopes. The type of effector cells gaining most attention recently have been CD8+ T cells HER2 inhibitor rather than CD4+ T cells [14, 15], which for several years were regarded as the main participants

in the disease processes [16], due in part to extensive investigations based on the animal model of brain inflammation, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). This model has some similarities but also significant differences from MS, illustrated markedly by the lack of efficacy of clinical MS trials targeting CD4+ T cells [17]. Different types of cytotoxic activities of possible significance are due to NK [18] or ADCC, both executed mainly by CD56+ cells. In particular, the latter type of Buspirone HCl cytotoxicity may be worthwhile studying, as increased production of oligoclonal antibodies against both known and unknown epitopes (including HERV and herpesvirus epitopes) is one of the characteristic and puzzling findings in MS [19-21]. For several years we have grown blood lymphocytes from MS patients in our laboratory [9]. Some of these lymphocytes, particularly when sourced from MS patients in relapse, have changed the growth pattern into continuously growing B lymphoblastoid cell cultures expressing and producing endogenous retroviruses, predominantly HERV-H/F, and also HERV-W, together with low amounts of Epstein–Barr virus proteins.

All cells were cultured in a final volume of 200 µl in the presence of 1 × 104 irradiated peripheral mononuclear cells as antigen-presenting cells. All tests were conducted in triplicate. Cell cultures were then incubated at 37°C for 4 days and supernatants were obtained for cytokine measurements before AZD4547 cell line being pulsed with 1 µCi [3H]-thymidine per well for the final 18 h of incubation. Plates were harvested onto nylon filters using the Betaplate system and radioactivity was quantified using a Betaplate counter. Results are expressed in counts per minute (cpm) as the mean of triplicate cultures ± standard error of the mean (s.e.m.).

Percentage suppression was calculated using the formula: (1−cpm in presence of Treg cells/cpm in the absence of Treg cells) × 100. Conventional (CD4+CD25-) and Treg (CD4+CD25high) populations were isolated from tumour samples by flow cytometry cell sorting and stimulated with the irradiated autologous CD3- fraction, containing tumour cells and tumour-associated antigen-presenting cells (APCs), in the presence or absence of IL-2 (50 ng/ml) for 10 days. Cultures were then stimulated with phorbol

myristate Nutlin-3 research buy acetate (PMA)/ionomycin and stained with anti-CD4 and anti-IL-17 mAb. The supernatants were diluted for measurement of cytokine concentration by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (R&D kits, Minneapolis, MN, USA). Briefly, microtitre plates precoated with capturing mAbs were blocked with 2% bovine serum albumin (BSA)/PBS. After washing, samples and controls Suplatast tosilate were added at 50 µl per well and incubated for 2 h with a biotinylated detecting antibody (50 µl per well) in 2% BSA/PBS/Tween-20. Plates were

washed and incubated for 30 min with streptavidin-conjugated horseradish peroxidase. Next, 100 µl of 0·0125% tetramethylbenzidine and 0·008% H2O2 in citrate buffer was used as substrate. A standard curve was performed for each plate and used to calculate the absolute concentrations of cytokines. Normally distributed data sets were analysed by Student’s t-test, paired t-test, analysis of variance (anova) and linear regression and correlation analysis (using ‘Primer for Biostatistics’). The Wilcoxon two-sample test and Kruskall–Wallis test were used for data sets that were not normally distributed (using sas). P ≤ 0·05 was considered significant. Although the high frequency of Th17 cells has been shown to correlate with favourable outcome in patients with several types of cancer, their distribution is unclear as yet in human bladder tumours. Those prompted us to assess the presence of Th17 cells in the peripheral blood and tumours tissue of patients with bladder carcinoma. PBMCs in patients with bladder carcinoma (n = 45) and in healthy controls (n = 20) were examined for the prevalence of Th17 cells.

In a study by Axtell et al. [7], the authors associated a poor response to IFN-β treatment with Th17-type immune responses in EAE mice. Supporting the EAE data, PLX4032 solubility dmso the authors identified elevated pretreatment serum levels of IL-17F in a small subgroup of IFN-β non-responders. Along the same lines, Lee et al. [12] reported positive correlations between high serum levels of IL-7 in RRMS patients and a good response to IFN-β treatment, and in-vitro experiments revealed Th1 differentiation

induced by IL-7. However, these findings were not validated in a recent study [13]. In this study, we aimed to investigate the type of immune responses (Th1, Th2, Th17) present in PBMC obtained at baseline from RRMS patients and classified based on their clinical response to IFN-β treatment. For this,

levels of IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-4, IL-17A and IL-17F were determined in culture supernatants from activated PBMC of responders and selleck screening library non-responders and also from healthy controls. Cytokine levels were similar between groups. Although these results are based on a relatively small number of responders and non-responders to IFN-β, the findings do not support an association between differential responses to IFN-β and Th1, Th2 or Th17 types of immune responses. However, it should be taken into account that stimulation with PMA Pregnenolone plus IO is associated with a strong and general PBMC activation, and therefore it remains unknown whether the use of more specific T cell activation, such as that provided by CD3 stimulation, may result in significant differences of the cellular immune responses

between IFN-β responders and non-responders. The authors thank the Red Española de Esclerosis Múltiple (REEM) sponsored by the Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (FIS), Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain, and the Ajuts per donar Suport als Grups de Recerca de Catalunya sponsored by the Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca (AGAUR), Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain. The authors have no conlicts of interest. “
“Macrophages and polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) represent an essential part of the innate immune system. These cells mediate a wide spectrum of immunological functions including bacterial defense, immune modulation, and inflammation; they are necessary for tissue homeostasis and also contribute to pathologies such as malignancy, autoimmunity, and chronic inflammation. Both macrophages and PMNs express a set of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), zinc-dependent endopeptidases that are involved in a variety of biological functions such as the turnover of extracellular matrix (ECM) components, angiogenesis, and the regulation of inflammation.

15.2) mAbs or isotype-matched controls (all from eBiosciences). Fluorescence was analyzed on a FACSaria cytofluorometer (Becton Dickinson, Erembodegem, Belgium) and results were analyzed using the Flowjo software (Tree Star, Ashland, OR). Three days after irradiation, mice were injected s.c. with 500 μg BSA or OVA in the absence or presence 10 μg CpG-ODN, 1 μg GM-CSF and 1 μg sCD40L. For ex vivo experiments, spleen cells were isolated one day later and cocultured with OT-1 CD8+ T cells

for 18 h (cell ratio 1:2). T-cell activation was evaluated by quantifying IL-2 and IFN-γ by ELISA (BD Pharmingen, San Diego, CA) in the supernatants. For in vivo experiments, mice were injected i.v. one day later with 2×106 CFDA-SE-labeled Pritelivir supplier OT-1 CD8+ T cells. Spleen and draining LN cells were collected two days later and the proliferation OT-1 CD8+ T cells was determined by evaluating CFDA-SE staining

mTOR inhibitor by FACS. To evaluate in vitro the cross-presentation activity of microglia, CD11b+ CNS cells were isolated three days after irradiation, incubated for 8 h with 100 μM BSA or OVA. Then, 1×105 CD11b+ CNS cells were cocultured with 2×105 OT-1 CD8+ T cells for 18 h. T-cell activation was evaluated by quantifying IL-2 and IFN-γ by ELISA in the supernatants. To evaluate ex vivo and in vivo cross-presentation activity of microglia, mice were intracranially injected with 200 μg OVA or BSA (+/−10 μg CpG-ODN, 1 μg GM-CSF and 1 μg sCD40L), three days after irradiation. For ex vivo assay, CD11b+ CNS cells were magnetically sorted the day after and incubated with OT-1 CD8+ T cells

(cell ratio 1:2) for 18 h. T-cell activation was evaluated by quantifying IL-2 and IFN-γ by cAMP ELISA in the 24 h culture supernatants. For the in vivo assay, mice were additionally injected the day after with 2×106 CFDA-SE-labeled OT-1 CD8+ T cells in the brain. CNS cells were collected two days later for FACS analysis. CD11b+ cells were analyzed for CD11b, H2-Kb, I-Ab, CD80 and CD86 staining. OT-1 CD8+ T-cell proliferation was evaluated by FACS analysis of CFDA-SE labeling. OT-1 CD8+ T-cell activation was evaluated by quantifying IFN-γ production, using the mouse IFN-γ secretion assay kit (Myltenyi Biotec). Briefly, brain cells were incubated 3 h with the OVA peptide SIINFEKL (Affiland), 10 min on ice in the presence of mouse IFN-γ catch reagent, before additional 45 min incubation at 37 °C in RPMI medium. Cells were then labelled for 10 min on ice with the allophycocyanin IFN-γ detection reagent. Cell flourescence was analyzed by flow cytometry. Data are shown as mean ± SD and were analyzed by the Student’s t test to reveal significant differences (*p < 0.05; **p < 0.005; ***p < 0.0005). GraphPad Prism 5.0 software (GraphPad Software, San Diego, CA) was used for all statistical analyses.

Together, CD and ulcerative colitis are referred to as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The chromosomal region, 6p21, IBD3, has been identified as an IBD-susceptibility locus [99–101]. IBD3 region encompasses the tumour necrosis factor α (TNF) gene. TNF-alpha is considered as a strong candidate gene for IBD. Levels of TNF are elevated in the serum, mucosa and stool of patients with IBD. TNF production is under a strong genetic influence [102]. The positive association of TNF rs1799724

C with UC was reported Selleckchem Crizotinib in Caucasians and is also supported by a small Japanese case–control study. The same study reported an association of TNF rs1799724 T with Japanese CD, although a significant effect of this allele was not observed in a larger patient cohort [103]. The associations between TNF-alpha and Fc-gamma receptor (Fc-gammaR) polymorphism with infliximab (IFX) treatment for CD are not well known. Patients with CD were given IFX 5 mg/kg intravenously and followed prospectively for 8 weeks, and the Crohn’s disease activity index (CDAI) was measured before and after 8 weeks of treatment [104]. On the basis of predicted CD activity

index, patients were grouped as responders or non-responders. The TNF-alpha, Fc-gammaRIIA and Fc-gammaRIIIA genotype distribution was not significantly different Wnt mutation between responders and non-responders 8 weeks after treatment. Fc-gammaRIIIB genotype distribution has shown significant differences between responders and non-responders after 8 weeks. Fc-gammaRIIIB polymorphism may be an important factor for clinical response to IFX treatment in CD. Asthma is a complex polygenic disease in which gene–environment interactions have shown to play important role. TNFα gene is one of the important this website candidate genes involved in pathogenesis of asthma. Several studies have investigated TNFα rs1800629 polymorphism (rs1800629 G designated as TNF1 and rs1800629 A designated as TNF2) and asthma susceptibility in different populations. A positive association between TNF2 and asthma [79, 105–112]

have been reported. Some studies have been reported a negative association [113–116], and one study reported a positive association between TNF1 and asthma [117]. Gao et al. [118] included 2409 patients with asthma and 3266 controls, in the study. They found that TNF2 allele confers a significant risk of developing asthma. Juran et al. [119] recently reported an association between primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and (rs231725) polymorphism of the immunoreceptor gene cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA4). They have detected its interaction with the rs1800629 polymorphism in which TNF2A allele has been shown to increase the TNF production. The genotyping of polymorphism was carried out in patients with PBC and in controls from US and Canada. Allele frequency for TNF2A was elevated in patients with PBC, but only borderline significance was detected.

We have demonstrated that early vaccination (at 7 days of life) with a live gE-deleted ADV vaccine, in the presence of high levels of MDA could be effective, but that the intensity and duration of the recall proliferative T-cell response depended on the moment of the second vaccination. Humoral as well cellular responses were most similar to results obtained in the group vaccinated following the manufacturer’s recommendation when the second vaccination was performed at 12 weeks of life. Future studies are required to evaluate the protective effects of vaccination with this protocol. Vaccination of pigs as young

as 7 days of age, from a practical point of view, could be more convenient for herd personnel. This work is supported by Project no. NN 308 275934 funded by Ministry click here of Science and Higher

Education. The NIA-3 ADV strain was kindly provided by Dr Andrzej Lipowski from NVRI Pulawy. “
“The conventional acid fast JQ1 nmr bacilli (AFB) smear and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) culture of pleural effusion and tuberculin skin test (TST) in tuberculous pleurisy are unable to meet clinical needs because of their low sensitivities and specificities. To evaluate the diagnostic accuracies of QuantiFERON TB Gold In-Tube test (QFT-GIT) and nested-PCR in tuberculous pleurisy, we conducted a cross-sectional study in regions of China with a high tuberculosis (TB) epidemic. Seventy-eight participants were enrolled: 58 TB patients with diagnosis of confirmed or probable tuberculous pleurisy and 20 non-TB patients with a diagnosis of other non-TB diseases. The positive rates of AFB smear and M.tb culture in the pleural effusion were 5.8% (2/42) and 10.6% (5/47), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of QFT-GIT were 93.1% (54/58) and 90.0% (18/20), whereas those of TST were 68.5% (37/54) and 86.7% (13/15), respectively; the sensitivity of QFT-GIT was significantly higher PRKACG than TST (P = 0.013). The sensitivity and specificity of M.tb-specific nested-PCR in pleural effusion were 94.8% (55/58) and 90.0% (18/20), respectively, with a turnaround

time of 7 h. Furthermore, combined QFT-GIT and nested-PCR detection improves the specificity to 100% with a sensitivity of up to 90.0%. This combination of immunoassay and molecular detection holds promise for the clinical diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy. Tuberculous pleurisy is the most common extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TB), accounting for c. 10–20% of all tuberculous patients and c. 10–30% of disease causing pleural effusions (Porcel, 2009). The conventional acid fast bacilli (AFB) smear and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) culture in pleural effusion are unable to meet clinical needs because of their low sensitivities (Light, 2007). There is an overriding need for the development of highly sensitive, specific and rapid tools to aid in the diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy.

6C), suggesting that Klf10 may inhibit IL-12p40 by binding directly to the CACCC site of the promoter. ChIP assays were performed to determine whether Klf10 was recruited to the CACCC this website element of IL-12p40 promoter. Semi-qPCR and qPCR results verify that Klf10 can bind to the CACCC site of the IL-12p40 promoter (Fig. 6D and E). Therefore, we demonstrate that Klf10 inhibited the transcriptional activity of IL-12p40 by

binding directly to the CACCC site of the IL12p40 promoter. Macrophages are important mediators in immune responses to inflammation. The remarkable plasticity of macrophages has recently been the subject of intense investigation. M-CSF and GM-CSF are mediators involved in the regulation of macrophage heterogeneity. Macrophages induced by GM-CSF and stimulated with IFN-γ and LPS are characterized by a high expression of inflammatory cytokines and iNOS. By contrast, macrophages induced by M-CSF and then stimulated with IL-4 are responsible for the resolution of inflammation. Controlling the expression of inflammatory factors is critical in maintaining the antiinflammatory state in M-CSF-induced macrophages. KLFs are important zinc finger transcription factors that can regulate the transcriptional activity of target genes, thereby affecting their expression. So far, Klf4 has been demonstrated to be critical during macrophage differentiation. Klf4 is expressed in a monocyte-restricted

and stage-specific pattern during myelopoiesis [23]. Recent studies identified Klf4 as a key regulator in M2 macrophage polarization [5]. Klf4 is also related to macrophage activation. selleck compound Klf4 overexpression can induce macrophage activation marker iNOS and inhibit TGF-β1 and Smad3 signaling [25]. Klf10, initially identified and named as TGF-β inducible early gene 1 in human osteoblasts [26], has been reported to have a critical role in T-cell biology [28, 29]. In this study, we demonstrated that Klf10 functions as a specific repressor to IL-12p40 in M-BMMs,

whereas the expression of other cytokines, such as TNF-α and IL-10, were not obviously affected. pheromone IL-12p40 is a subunit shared by IL-12p70 and IL-23, and its regulation is important for both innate and adaptive immunity. IL-10 can suppress IL-12 by inhibiting the transcription of its encoding genes [43]. TGF-β is also an inhibitor of IL-12 production through the reduction of the stability of IL-12 p40 mRNA [35]. Type I interferons, such as IFN-α and IFN-β, can also inhibit the production of IL-12 [33]. However, the aforementioned cytokines that regulate IL-12p40 were unaffected by Klf10 in our results. In addition, some transcription factors, such as IRF5, IRF8, C/EBP α, and C/EBP β, regulate the expression of IL-12p40. We found that the expression of these factors was not obviously affected in Klf10-deficient mice (data not shown). Therefore, Klf10 may directly regulate the expression of IL-12p40 in transcriptional levels.

The phenotype of the generated DCs was assessed by morphologic observation and detection of specific surface markers by flow cytometry (FCM). According to the manufacturer’s protocol, CD4+CD25− and CD4+CD25+ cell populations were separated from purified CD4+T cells using a mouse Treg isolation kit (Miltenyi Biotec, Auburn, CA, USA). As determined by FCM, the CD4+CD25+ populations were >95% pure, and the CD4+CD25− populations were 98% pure. Antigen presenting cells (APCs) used for T-cell proliferation

in vitro were obtained from pan-T-cell-depleted splenocytes of untreated, age-matched female BALB/c mice and treated with 25 μg/mL mitomycin C (Sigma) for 30 min in 5% CO2 at 37°C (22). For suppression assays, 1 × 105 CD4+CD25− T cells/well, 5 × 104 CD4+CD25+ T cells/well or both populations were cultured in 96-well U-bottom plates with see more 1 × 105 APCs/well in triplicate for 72 h at 37°C in complete RPMI-1640 medium (0·2 mL/well). Cells in culture were stimulated with 1 μg/mL soluble anti-CD3 (BD PharMingen, San Diego, CA, USA) in the presence or absence of 0·5 μg/mL rSj16 or 0·5 μg/mL OVA (Sigma). Proliferation was determined after incubating with 0·5 μCi/well 3H-thymidine and measuring incorporation during the final 16–18 h of a 3-day culturing period. IL-10, IL-4, TGF-β and IFN-γ concentrations

in the supernatants of antigen-stimulated cells were quantified using an ELISA www.selleckchem.com/products/ch5424802.html kit (Bender Med Systems, Vienna, Austria), according to the manufacturer’s protocol. Intracellular cytokines were detected by FCM as previously described (23). Briefly, 1 × 106/mL cells stimulated with PMA, ionomycin and Monensin (Sigma) in complete RPMI 1640 medium at 37°C in 5% CO2. After 4–6 h, cells were harvested and stained according to the manufacturer’s protocol. The Mouse Regulatory T Cell Staining Kit

selleck chemicals (eBioscience, San Diego, CA, USA) was used for the analysis of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T-cell induction. Pooled splenic and lymph node cells from immunized mice or from cocultures were surface-stained with FITC anti-CD4 monoclonal (mAb) and APC anti-CD25 mAb. After surface staining, cells were fixed and permeabilized with Cytofix/Cytoperm and then stained intracellularly with PE anti-Foxp3 mAb or PE IgG2a rat immunoglobulin (Ig) control antibody (Ab), according to the manufacturer’s protocol. Surface markers expressed by DCs were determined by FCM using the following mAbs: FITC anti-CD80 mAb, PE anti-CD86 mAb, PE anti-CD40 mAb and FITC anti-MHC II mAb (eBioscience). Cell staining was performed according to the manufacturer’s protocol. One-way anova and two-tailed Student’s t-tests were used in our statistical analysis; SNK method was used for multiple comparisons. A P-value <0·05 was considered statistically significant.

The gels were either stained with silver staining or proteins were transferred to polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane. The blots prepared from the immunoprecipitates selleck screening library were

then probed using anti-pSyk antibodies and blots were developed using Millipore chemiluminscent substrate. After Western analysis, blots were stained with Coommasie blue R250 to ensure uniform protein loading. A total of 0·5 × 106 cells were treated with various stimuli and washed with cold PBS; cells were then fixed in 3% formaldehyde for 15 min at RT. Fixed cells were then permeabilized using 95% methanol for 30 min on ice and 10 min at −20°C. After washing, blocking was performed with 1% serum albumin (BSA) and 2·5% species-specific serum diluted in PBS at RT for 1 h. These cells were incubated further with the appropriate primary antibody at a dilution of 1 : 100 for 1 h at RT. For co-staining, a monoclonal antibody recognizing the FcγRIIIA/B and a rabbit polyclonal recognizing the pSyk was used

for staining. Subsequently cells were incubated with AlexaFluor® MK-2206 manufacturer 488- and 594-conjugated secondary anti-mouse and anti-rabbit at a dilution of 1 : 200 at RT for 1 h. Co-localization for FcγRIIIA/B with pSyk was carried out using Olympus FV-1000 software. Cells were examined from three fields in three experiments in all co-localization studies. Cells were examined at ×400 and ×630 magnification in fluorescent (Leica, DM400B) or confocal microscope (Olympus, FV-1000). In certain cases optical zoom was employed to gain access to cellular details. The SB-3CT staining for co-localization of FcγRIIIA/B and intracellular FcRγ chain was essentially carried out as described in the earlier section. All serial Z-series sections were included for the analysis (Olympus FV-1000, co-localization software). To co-localize the FcγRIIIA/B, FcγRIIIB with ICs or AHG, a 5 µg/ml of AlexaFlour 488–AHG was used prior to staining of cells with anti-FcγRIIIA/B monoclonal and/or anti-FcγRIIIB antibody. Percentage staining was calculated from three independent fields by enumerating total cells, cells stained with

anti-FcγRIIIA/B and anti-FcγRIIIB. Activated cells were washed with cold PBS and resuspended in 0·1% BSA–PBS. To 1 × 106 cells, a total of 0·2 µg of CTB conjugated with FITC was added and cells were incubated for 20 min in an ice bath. Thereafter, the cells were fixed and stained for FcγRIIIA/B and mounted using SlowFade Gold anti-fade reagent containing 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) (Molecular Probes, Eugene, OR, USA) or without DAPI when using AlexaFluor® 350 conjugate. RT–PCR was performed on the total cellular RNA using the RNA isolation kit (Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA). Using a total of 200 ng of the RNA, the PCR product was generated using the Access RT–PCR system (Promega, Madison, WI, USA).

No. 555248; BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA, USA). Statistical testing was performed separately for results before and after challenge. Results are presented as box-plots showing the median, 25th–75th percentile, 10th–90th percentile and outliers. Lupin- and fenugreek-specific IgE antibodies were determined in individual sera at exsanguination by the heterologous PCA-test [25, 26]. In the lupin model, this website we also tested for cross-reactivity by the use of the PCA-test, using legume extracts other than lupin. Briefly, mouse serum

(100 μl) was injected intradermally in rats. Twenty-four hours later, a saline solution containing legume extract (0.1 mg/ml) and Evans Blue (4.5 mg/ml; Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, BTK inhibitor MO, USA) was administered i.v. One hour later, the rats were killed and the reactions were read as size in diameter of the blue dots in the skin (illustrations in [25]). All serum samples were diluted 1:4. Prechallenge sera were not available

for PCA because of the relatively large amount of mouse serum needed to perform the test. IgG1 ELISA.  Polystyrene microtiter plates (Maxisorp; VWR International, Radnor, PA, USA) were coated with 2 μg/ml lupin or fenugreek extract and incubated for 2 h at 37 °C and then at 4 °C overnight. Serum samples and antibodies were diluted 1:100 in PBS with 0.05% Tween 20 (PBS-Tw). PBS-Tw was also used as washing buffer between each step. Eight selected serum samples were preincubated with extracts of lupin, fenugreek, peanut, soy or OVA in concentrations from 0 to 10 mg/ml for 1 h to demonstrate the inhibitory potential of the corresponding extracts. All samples were added to the plates and incubated ifenprodil for 2 h at 37 °C. Antibodies were detected by peroxidase-labelled rat monoclonal anti-mouse IgG1 (BD Pharmingen, Franklin Lakes, NJ, USA) for 1 h at 37 °C and peroxidase substrate (ortho-phenylenediamine

chloride; Sigma-Aldrich). Absorbance was determined with an ELISA reader (EL808; BioTek Instruments, Winooski, VT, USA) at 450 nm. Antibody concentrations were given in arbitrary units (AU) per ml. Results are presented as a dose-response curve of the median values and box-plots showing median, 25th–75th percentile, 10th–90th percentile and outliers. Splenocyte preparation.  Spleen cells were prepared by pressing the spleens through a 70-μm cell strainer (BD Labware, Franklin Lakes, NJ, USA). The cell concentrations were determined using a Coulter Counter Z1 (Beckman Coulter Inc., Miami, FL, USA). After incubation in culture medium (RPMI 1640 with L-glutamine, supplemented with 10% foetal bovine serum and 1% streptomycin/penicillin) with or without 50 μg/ml legume extract at 37 °C and 5% CO2 for 5 days, the supernatants were collected and stored at −80 °C awaiting analyses. Trial A (Table 1) was performed to establish the lupin model and was included in the analyses to strengthen the control groups.