title: Increase of regulatory T cells and the ratio of specific IgE to total IgE are candidates for response monitoring or prognostic biomarkers in 2-year sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) for Japanese cedar pollinosis.
abstract: The aims of this study were to examine the therapeutic effects of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) and to identify potential biomarkers that would predict the therapeutic response in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. The trial was carried out over two pollinosis seasons in 2007 and 2008. Carry-over therapeutic effects were analyzed in 2009. SLIT significantly ameliorated the symptoms of pollinosis during the 2008 and 2009 pollen seasons. Cry j 1-specific cytokine production in a subgroup of patients with mild disease in the SLIT group was significantly attenuated. The ratio of specific IgE to total IgE before treatment correlated with the symptom-medication score in the SLIT group in 2008. Patients with increased Cry j 1-iTreg in the SLIT group had significantly improved QOL and QOL-symptom scores. In summary, the specific IgE to total IgE ratio and upregulation of Cry j 1-iTreg are candidates for biomarker of the clinical response to SLIT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohara, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujimura
authors.forename: Syuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yonekura
authors.forename: Shigetoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Horiguchi
authors.forename: Yuriko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Akemi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yasueda
authors.forename: Ayako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Inamine
authors.forename: Toshinori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: Toshitada
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takemori
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakaguchi
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okamoto
mesh_terms: D000286:Administration, Sublingual; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D015415:Biomarkers; D032485:Cryptomeria / Q000502:physiology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology*; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000628:therapy*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D010936:Plant Extracts; D007073:Immunoglobulin E