title: Changes of serum cytokines after the long term immunotherapy with Japanese hop pollen extracts.
abstract: Japanese hop (Hop J) pollen has been considered as one of the major causative pollen allergens in the autumn season. We developed a new Hop J immunotherapy extract in collaboration with Allergopharma (Reinbeck, Germany) and investigated immunologic mechanisms during 3 yr immunotherapy. Twenty patients (13 asthma with rhinitis and 7 hay fever) were enrolled from Ajou University Hospital. Sera were collected before, 1 yr, and 3 yr after the immunotherapy. Changes of serum specific IgE, IgG1, and IgG4 levels to Hop J pollen extracts and serum IL-10, IL-12, TGF-beta1 and soluble CD23 levels were monitored by ELISA. Skin reactivity and airway hyper-responsiveness to methacholine were improved during the study period. Specific IgG1 increased at 1 yr then decreased again at 3 yr, and specific IgG4 levels increased progressively (p<0.05, respectively), whereas total and specific IgE levels showed variable responses with no statistical significance. IL-10, TGF-beta1 and soluble CD23 level began to decrease during first year and then further decreased during next two years with statistical significances. (p<0.05, respectively). In conclusion, these findings suggested the favorable effect of long term immunotherapy with Hop J pollen extracts can be explained by lowered IgE affinity and generation of specific IgG4, which may be mediated by IL-10 and TGF-beta1.
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergy and Rheumatology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Soo-Keol
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Seung-Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dong-Ho
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Nahm
authors.forename: Chang-Hee
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.forename: Hae-Sim
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000209:etiology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D006109:Poaceae / Q000276:immunology*; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology*; D017455:Receptors, IgE / Q000097:blood; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D017455:Receptors, IgE; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007073:Immunoglobulin E