LAUSR

AIMS Epidemiology shows that gender affects the incidence of food allergy. However, there is a lack of evidence of gender differences in food allergies and little is known about the mechanisms. The aim of this study was to excavate potential reasons for gender differences in food allergy based on estrogen. MAIN METHODS Female and male BALB/c mice sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA) were established to analyze the difference in food allergy. The systemic anaphylactic, including OVA-specific IgE, OVA-specific IgG, histamine, and cytokines, was assessed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). ELISA also detected the estradiol in serum. Western blotting and immunofluorescence were used to detect the estrogen receptor. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) implicated in immune homeostasis and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) were determined by western blotting. Immunohistochemistry and hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining were used to detect zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), tryptase, forkhead box protein P3 (Foxp3), and intestinal morphology, respectively. KEY FINDINGS Female mice were more vulnerable to food allergy. Female mice treated with OVA did exhibit more serious systemic anaphylaxis than male mice. We observed increased levels of estradiol in serum, estrogen receptor, NF-κB, and decreased levels of PPAR γ in female mice. Furthermore, the intestinal mucosal integrity and intestinal permeability were more impaired in female mice treated with OVA than male mice. SIGNIFICANCE Clarify the mechanism of gender differences in food allergies can provide targets in female mice and provide personalized diagnosis, management, and treatment of food allergy for female mice.