Expression data from human epidermal keratinocytes treated with hydrolyzed wheat protein

Hydrolyzed wheat proteins (HWPs) contained in cosmetics have occasionally caused immediate-type hypersensitivity following repeated skin exposure. Although the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel concluded that <3,500 Da HWP is safe for use in cosmetics, it remains biologically unknown how allergenic HWPs evoke immediate-type allergy percutaneously. Keratinocyte-derived thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) induces type 2 immune responses, which play an essential role in the pathogenesis of immediate-type allergy. Previously, we demonstrated that protein allergens in cultured human keratinocytes strongly induced long-form TSLP (loTSLP) transcription. However loTSLP-regulating signaling by HWP is poorly understood. In this study, we performed global gene expression analysis by microarray to investigate how the allergenic HWP acts on epidermal keratinocytes and the induction of loTSLP. According to our previous work, the hydrolyzed wheat protein (GP19S), unlike human serum albumin (HSA), induced potent loTSLP transcription. To elucidate this difference, the gene expression profiles of keratinocytes exposed to 3 mg/mL GP19S, 66 mg/mL HSA, and their solvents were compared.