Figure 1

Decreased pulmonary inflammation in offspring in response to preconception OVA or Dp immunization. Female mice were immunized with OVA or Dp, boosted 10 and 20 days later, and mated on day 21. Sera from full-term pregnancies were evaluated for (A) total IgE, (B) anti-OVA IgG1 and (C) anti-Dp IgG1 Ab levels by ELISA. Sera from full-term pregnancies of non-immune females were assessed as controls. Offspring at 3 do were immunized with the same antigen used for the maternal immunizations, boosted at 13 do, and bled at 20 do. The offspring of control non-immune mothers were immunized with OVA or Dp as controls. Total IgE levels were determined by ELISA, and the dashed line represents IgE levels in control non-immunized 20 do offspring from nom-immune mothers (D). At 43 do, the offspring received five intranasal challenges with OVA or Dp. After 24 h, BAL was assessed, and total cell counts were evaluated (E). The data are presented as mean (8 to 10 mice per group) ± SEM values. *P ≤ 0.05 compared with the control group.