J Korean Med Sci.  2009 Jun;24(3):392-397. 10.3346/jkms.2009.24.3.392.

The Effect of Rush Immunotherapy with House Dust Mite in the Production of IL-5 and IFN-gamma from the Peripheral Blood T Cells of Asthmatic Children

• Kim HB
• Jin HS
• Lee SY
• Kim JH
• Kim BS
• Park SJ
• Hong SJ

• KMID: 1779153
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2009.24.3.392

Abstract

Although the mechanisms are unclear, rush immunotherapy (RIT) may be effective to treat allergic diseases. We investigated the long-term modifications of cellular immunity as a mechanism of RIT. The RIT group, included 15 house dust mite (HDM)-sensitized asthmatic children, received RIT only with Dermatophagoides farinae (Der f) and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p), whereas the control group, consisted of 10 HDM-sensitized asthmatic children, did not receive RIT. The asthma symptom scores and the skin reactivities to Der f were measured. The cellular proliferative responses and intracellular interleukin (IL)-5 and interferon (IFN)-gamma productions from peripheral blood T cells were also measured before, 8 weeks and 1 yr after RIT. The symptom scores, skin reactivity to Der f and cellular proliferative responses to Der f were decreased significantly after 8 weeks and maintained until 1 yr of RIT. The IFN-gamma/IL-5 ratio of the CD3(+) and CD4(+) cells were increased significantly after 8 weeks and maintained until 1 yr of RIT, while there were no changes in the control group. These data indicate that the continuous functional modification from Th2 to Th1 phenotype of the CD4(+) T cells are developed after RIT in the asthmatic children sensitized with HDM.

Keyword

Rush Immunotherapy; T Cell; Interferon-gamma; Asthma; House Dust Mite

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Animals
Antigens, Dermatophagoides/immunology
Asthma/diagnosis/*immunology/*therapy
Child
*Desensitization, Immunologic
Female
Humans
Interferon-gamma/*metabolism
Interleukin-5/*metabolism
Male
Pyroglyphidae/*immunology
Severity of Illness Index
T-Lymphocytes/*immunology/metabolism

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Respiratory symptom scores (A) and skin test reactivity to Der f (B) were decreased significantly at 8 weeks after RIT and maintained until 1 yr after RIT in the RIT group, but not in control group.

• 

  Fig. 2 The cellular proliferative responses (stimulation index, SI) were decreased significantly at 8 weeks after RIT (•) and maintained until 1 yr after RIT (□) compared to those before RIT (○) (A), whereas they were not suppressed in the control group (B).

• 

  Fig. 3 The CD4(+) T cells were increased at 8 weeks after RIT, but these cells were decreased at 1 yr after RIT compared to the cell population at 8 weeks after RIT (A). There were no significant changes during 3 follow-up periods in the control group (B).

• 

  Fig. 4 IFN-γ/IL-5 ratio from the peripheral CD4(+) T cells was increased at 8 weeks after RIT compared to before RIT and it was maintained at 1 yr after RIT (A). It was not changed in each follow-up period in the control group (B).

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