Prolonged Treatment of Peanut-Allergic Mice with Bortezomib Significantly Reduces Serum Anti-Peanut IgE but Does Not Affect Allergic Symptoms.

BACKGROUND Anti-peanut immunoglobulin E (anti-Pn IgE) can persist throughout life, suggesting that this condition could be maintained by long-lived antibody-secreting cells (ASCs). To determine the role of long-lived ASCs, peanut-allergic mice underwent prolonged treatment with the proteasome inhibitor, bortezomib (Bz). METHODS Intravenous Bz was given twice weekly for 21 weeks to peanut-allergic mice. During treatment, serum anti-Pn IgE was measured, and the mice were rechallenged at the end of treatment. Cell populations were measured, and Pn-specific IgG, total IgG, and total IgE ASCs were enumerated in the bone marrow (BM) and spleen (SPL). RESULTS Prolonged treatment with Bz significantly reduced serum anti-Pn IgE and IgG1 but did not affect symptoms following challenge with Pn, even in mice with undetectable serum anti-Pn IgE. Numbers of CD138+ cells were significantly reduced in the BM but were unaffected in the SPL. Unexpectedly, Bz did not affect numbers of Pn-specific IgG, total IgG, or total IgE ASCs in either the BM or SPL. CONCLUSIONS Cells that maintain long-lived serum anti-Pn IgE are sensitive to Bz. However, prolonged depletion of serum Pn-specific IgE does not result in a decrease of symptoms following challenge with Pn.