title: Grass immunotherapy induces inhibition of allergen-specific human peripheral blood mononuclear cell proliferation.
abstract: The peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from humans allergic to grass pollens (GR+ subjects) show strong in vitro proliferative responses to purified allergens from Lolium perenne pollen Lol p 1, and to a lesser extent to Lol p 2 and Lol p 3. By contrast, PBMC from grass allergic patients undergoing immunotherapy (GR + IT subjects) exhibit a very poor Lol p-specific proliferative response, similar to that observed in nongrass allergic subjects (GR-subjects). Unlike GR-subjects, both GR+ and GR + IT subjects have high levels of antigen-specific serum IgG and IgE antibodies to Lol p 1, Lol p 2 and Lol p 3. While GR+ subjects exhibit a significant correlation between antigen-specific serum antibody and PBMC responses, GR + IT subjects do not show a correlation between the two responses. The possible mechanisms by which immunotherapy may modulate allergen-specific T cell proliferative response are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins Asthma and Allergy Center, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md., USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baskar
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Norman
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Ansari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D052179:Antigens, Plant; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008129:Lolium / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology*; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D052179:Antigens, Plant; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; C042814:Lol p I protein, Lolium perenne; C056754:Lol p II protein, Lolium perenne; C062329:Lol p III protein, Lolium perenne; D010940:Plant Proteins; D007073:Immunoglobulin E