title: Influence of allergen-specific immunotherapy on IL-4-dependent IL-12 production by monocytes.
abstract: Allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) is an effective method of allergy treatment. Reduction of allergy symptoms followed by AIT presumably depends on modification of cytokine production, especially of IFN-gamma and/or IL-4. Previously, we found that lower IL-12 production by allergic monocytes than in healthy control, could depend on higher IL-4 receptor alpha-chain (CD124) expression. Since IFN-gamma production is stimulated by IL-12, which in turn is down-regulated by IL-4, the aim of study was to analyze the influence of AIT on the network of these cytokines. Moreover, we estimated the possible role of CD124 in that process. Patients (n=16) with grass pollen allergy were subjected to AIT with Allergovit for 5 to 6 weeks. The clinical examination and blood analyses were performed before and after AIT. Clinical improvement in course of AIT was rather weak, however, we found significant increase of mean IFN-gamma production by PBMC. Although the increase of mean IL-12 production by monocytes following AIT was non-significant, we observed statistically significant decrease of monocyte sensitivity to IL-4 suppressed IL-12 production. Flow cytometry analysis revealed significant decrease of CD124 expression on monocytes after AIT. Despite unchanged mean IL-4 level the decrease of CD124 expression after AIT could explain the decreased monocyte sensitivity to IL-4 and its role in further IL-12 and IFN-gamma tuning.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Pulmonology, Allergic Diseases and Hematology, First Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Grzela
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Grzela
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lazarczyk
authors.forename: Grazyna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Korczak-Kowalska
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wierzbicki
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zawadzka-Krajewska
authors.forename: Jaroslaw
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jozwiak
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Skopiñski
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism*; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D018664:Interleukin-12; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma