Increase of natural killer cells in children with liver transplantation-acquired food allergy

Publication date: Available online 16 February 2018
Source:Allergologia et Immunopathologia
Author(s): F. Mori, C. Angelucci, A. Cianferoni, S. Barni, G. Indolfi, A. Casini, G. Mangone, M. Materassi, N. Pucci, C. Azzari, E. Novembre
BackgroundTransplantation-acquired food allergies (TAFA) are frequently reported and considered to be caused by immunosuppressive therapy.The aim of this study was to investigate the allergic and immunologic responses in children who had liver or kidney transplantations.MethodsTwelve children receiving liver transplantations and 10 children receiving kidney transplantations were investigated. All children underwent the allergy work-up and in most of them, lymphocyte screening and serum cytokine measurements were also performed.ResultsTAFA were found in 7/12 (58%) children with liver transplantations and in none of the 10 children with kidney transplantations. The mean age at transplantation was significantly lower in children who underwent liver transplantations (p<0.001). The immunosuppressive therapy administered to children with liver transplantation was tacrolimus in 11 patients and cyclosporine in one patient, while all 10 children with kidney transplantation received tacrolimus plus mycophenolate. The most common antigenic food was egg. The natural killer (NK) cell numbers were significantly higher in liver-transplant children than in kidney-transplant children. No significant differences were found in the serum cytokine levels.ConclusionsThis study confirms that liver-transplant children treated with tacrolimus alone have a higher risk of developing TAFA than kidney-transplant children treated with tacrolimus plus mycophenolate. NK cells might be involved in this difference.



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