Original Paper

Three-Year Follow-Up Study of Allergen-Induced in vitro Cytokine and Signalling Lymphocytic Activation Molecule mRNA Responses in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Allergic Rhinitis Patients Undergoing Specific Immunotherapy
K. Nieminen, K. Laaksonen, J. Savolainen

Department of Pulmonary Diseases and Clinical Allergology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

Address of Corresponding Author

Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2009;150:370-376 (DOI: 10.1159/000226238)

  Key Words

• Pollen allergy
• Allergic rhinitis
• Specific immunotherapy
• Cytokines
• Signalling lymphocytic activation molecule
• Th1 cells
• Th2 cells
• T regulatory cells

  Abstract

Background: Allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) is known to affect the allergen-specific T helper cell (Th2/Th1) balance and to induce T regulatory (Treg) cells. These observations have usually been made during the first treatment year and often without symptom monitoring. This study was performed to investigate allergen-induced Th2 (IL-4, IL-5)-, Th1 [IFN-, IL-18, signalling lymphocytic activation molecule (SLAM)]- and Treg (IL-10)-type immune responses in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and their association with symptom improvement in allergic rhinitis patients after 3 years of SIT. Methods: Twenty patients were treated with SIT and 8 patients were studied as untreated controls. PBMC were collected before and after 1 and 3 years of SIT and stimulated with specific allergen. Cytokine and SLAM mRNA expression was determined by TaqMan® RT-PCR. Symptoms were recorded yearly using visual analogue scale (VAS) scoring. Results: IL-18, SLAM and IL-10 mRNA expression increased after 3 years of SIT, with a peak at 1 year, whereas IL-5 mRNA expression transiently decreased and IFN- mRNA expression transiently increased after 1 year of SIT. The increases in IL-18 and SLAM expression were not associated with symptom improvement, whereas decreases in both IL-4 expression and the IL-4/IFN- ratio after 1 year of SIT were found in patients with a good therapeutic outcome (>40 percentage unit reduction in VAS). Conclusions: SIT has long-term effects on allergen-specific immune responses. The induced Treg- and Th1-type responses persist over 3 years of SIT, whereas Th2-type responses are transiently decreased only during early therapy.

Copyright © 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Correspondence to: Dr. Johannes Savolainen
MediCity Research Laboratory
University of Turku, Tykistökatu 6A
FI-20520 Turku (Finland)
Tel. +358 2 333 7022, Fax +358 2 333 7000, E-Mail johannes.savolainen@utu.fi

  Article Information

Received: January 21, 2009
Accepted after revision: March 25, 2009
Published online: July 1, 2009
Number of Print Pages : 7
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 3, Number of References : 40