title: Reduction of increased serum neutrophil chemotactic activity following effective hyposensitization in house dust mite allergy.
abstract: Changes in the level of serum neutrophil chemotactic activity (S-NCA) were investigated in 20 subjects with allergic rhinitis, with or without asthma, undergoing clinically effective hyposensitization to house dust mite with Pharmalgen Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus. Two control groups were studied: 28 subjects with allergic rhinitis, with or without asthma, receiving placebo injections for 1 yr in a double-blind controlled trial with Pharmalgen D. pteronyssinus (from whom the actively treated group in this study were recruited), and eight non-atopic asymptomatic controls. S-NCA and serum IgE specific to D. pteronyssinus were measured in the subjects before, during (3-6 months) and 12 months after treatment, and once in the non-atopic controls. The mean S-NCA was significantly higher (0.01 greater than P greater than 0.001) in subjects before treatment (mean +/- s.e. = 63.8 +/- 3.6 arbitrary units of migration (AUM] compared with the non-atopic controls (48.5 +/- 3.7 AUM), but had fallen to normal levels after 6 months (46.8 +/- 4.0 AUM) and 12 months treatment (45.2 +/- 3.8 AUM). The levels of S-NCA in the placebo treated group were significantly higher than normal at the start of treatment (69.2 +/- 4.1) and remained raised throughout the 12 months treatment. In the actively treated group, the level of S-NCA had fallen in 18 out of 19 subjects after 12 months immunotherapy, and was unaltered in one. Mean levels of D. pteronyssinus IgE rose during the first 6 months and declined to initial levels by the end of the treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, St Mary's Hospital Medical School, London.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: McHugh
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Ewan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002630:Chemotactic Factors / Q000032:analysis*; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004391:Dust; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis; D007167:Immunotherapy; D007267:Injections; D016209:Interleukin-8; D008297:Male; D008925:Mites / Q000276:immunology*; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002630:Chemotactic Factors; D004391:Dust; D016209:Interleukin-8; D007073:Immunoglobulin E