Immunological changes during specific immunotherapy of grass pollen allergy: reduced lymphoproliferative responses to allergen and shift from TH2 to TH1 in T-cell clones specific for Phl p 1, a major grass pollen allergen.
OBJECTIVE
The mechanisms operative in specific immunotherapy (SIT) of Type I allergy are not completely understood. In the present study we evaluated immunological changes during SIT in pollinosis.


METHODS
Eight patients suffering from pollinosis (monosensitized to grass pollen) were treated with conventional SIT. All subjects had IgE specific for Phl p 1, a major allergen of timothy grass. In vitro changes in the immunological reactivity to grass pollen extract and to recombinant Phl p 1 were evaluated. Subjects were examined at three occasions: before, after 3 months and after 1 year of SIT.


RESULTS
Serological analysis revealed a marked increase of grass pollen- and Phl p 1-specific IgG, titres of specific IgE did not change significantly. Lymphoproliferative responses to grass pollen extract and rPhl p 1 were reduced already after 3 months of treatment. Accordingly, the cloning efficiency for Phl p 1-specific T-cell clones (TCC) dropped markedly in all patients. The majority of allergen-specific TCC raised before SIT revealed a TH2-like pattern of cytokine production, TCC established after SIT revealed TH1 characteristics. This shift was due to a decrease in IL-4 rather than an increase in IFN-production by T cells. Investigations of the epitopes recognized by T cells before and after SIT did not reveal the outgrowth of new ('protecting') specificities. We could not observe induction of allergen-specific CD8+ lymphocytes (supressor cells).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data indicate that -- on the level of TH lymphocytes -- SIT induces tolerance to the allergen and a modulation of the cytokine pattern produced in response to allergen stimulation.
Institute of General and Experimental Pathology, University of Vienna, Austria.
C
C
Ebner
U
U
Siemann
B
B
Bohle
M
M
Willheim
U
U
Wiedermann
S
S
Schenk
F
F
Klotz
H
H
Ebner
D
D
Kraft
O
O
Scheiner
D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D002460:Cell Line; D016207:Cytokines / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D006109:Poaceae / Q000276:immunology*; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000485:Allergens; D016207:Cytokines; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D010940:Plant Proteins; C090396:PHLPI protein, Phleum pratense; D007073:Immunoglobulin E