RBL-huFcεRI assay with whey hydrolysates with different peptide size patterns.

<p>Human FcεRI α chain expressing RBL cells were incubated with the pool of chimeric huIgE anti-BLG antibodies (1 µg/ml of each individual huIgE; grey bars), and subsequently cross-linked with anti-huIgE antibodies (5 µg/ml), BLG (1 µg/ml) or whey hydrolysates (1 µg/ml) with different peptide size patterns (HA<10 kDa, HA<5 kDa or HA<3 kDa). Controls: spontaneous degranulation (white bars), i.e., FcεRI α chain expressing RBL cells alone or incubated with pool of chimeric huIgE anti-BLG antibodies (Mab pool) w/o cross-linking, and maximum degranulation (black bar), i.e., FcεRI α chain expressing RBL cells treated with commercial huIgE and anti-huIgE antibodies (both at 5 µg/ml). Results are expressed as mean + SD (n = 2–6); **<i>P</i><0.001 when compared to MAb pool w/o cross-linker.