Quantitative assessment of immediate cutaneous hypersensitivity in a model of genetic predisposition to atopy

Genetic predisposition and environmental factors modulate the expression of allergic phenotypes. The frequent allergic phenotype 'immediate cutaneous hypersensitivity' was established in mice as a model for atopy, Genetic dissection of this trait requires a robust procedure to assess the allergic phenotype. To this end, different mouse strains were immunized with birch pollen extract. Immediate cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions were induced through intradermal allergen exposure. Wheel formation was quantitated and expressed as a hypersensitivity score according to the bonitur method. This procedure identified A/J and C57BL/6 mice as high and low-responder strains, respectively. Crosses of A/J and C57BL/6 mice should allow the characterization of mendelian factors responsible for the two extreme phenotypes identified here.