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Absence of systemic immunologic changes during dose build‐up phase and early maintenance period in effective specific sublingual immunotherapy in children
Author(s) -
Dehlink E.,
Eiwegger T.,
Gerstmayr M.,
Kampl E.,
Bohle B.,
Chen K.W.,
Vrtala S.,
Urbanek R.,
Szépfalusi Z.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
clinical and experimental allergy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.462
H-Index - 154
eISSN - 1365-2222
pISSN - 0954-7894
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2222.2006.02400.x
Subject(s) - slit , medicine , immunology , sublingual administration , immunoglobulin e , allergy , allergen , desensitization (medicine) , immunotherapy , asthma , immunopathology , house dust mite , cytokine , immune system , antibody , biology , genetics , receptor
Summary Background Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) has been reported to be a safe treatment for inhalant allergies in children. Yet the immunologic mechanisms resulting in clinical improvement are poorly understood. Objective To identify early systemic immunologic changes during the first 8 weeks of clinically effective SLIT to grass pollen, tree pollen or house dust mite in paediatric patients with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and/or asthma. Methods Peripheral blood mononuclear cells and plasma samples of 13 children with reduced symptoms after 1 year of SLIT were obtained before therapy and at 2 and 8 weeks after the initiation of SLIT. Allergen‐specific lymphocyte proliferation assays were performed, and allergen‐induced cytokine production (IL‐2, IL‐4, IL‐10, IFN‐γ, and TGF‐β 1 ) was measured by ELISA and flow cytometry. Allergen‐specific IgE, IgG1, IgG4, and IgA levels in plasma samples were determined in ELISA. Results During the first 8 weeks of successful SLIT, allergen‐specific lymphoproliferation ( n =13) as well as levels of allergen‐specific intracellular ( n =8) and secreted cytokines ( n =9) did not change significantly. In addition, no alterations in levels of allergen‐specific Igs ( n =7) were observed. Conclusion We could not find any early systemic immunologic changes during the first 8 weeks of clinically effective SLIT to inhalant allergens in paediatric patients with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and/or asthma.