title: Changes in basophil activation during grass-pollen sublingual immunotherapy do not correlate with clinical efficacy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Biomarkers predicting the safety and efficacy of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) remain to be established.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-nine patients with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis to grass pollen received either a placebo or five-grass-pollen daily tablet sublingually for 4 months. Following exposure in an allergen challenge chamber, clinical responders and nonresponders were identified individually by evaluating their rhinoconjunctivitis total symptom score (RTSS). Activation of peripheral blood basophils was measured by cytofluorometry before and after 2 or 4 months of immunotherapy, based on CD203c surface expression following allergen stimulation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients receiving the grass-pollen tablet had a relative mean improvement of 29.3% vs placebo in the average RTSS after 4 months of SLIT (P < 0.0003). No significant changes in basophil activation were noticed after 2 or 4 months of SLIT despite induction of specific IgGs. Among individual clinical responders, basophil activation was either decreased, increased, or unmodified during SLIT. Levels of basophil activation prior to immunotherapy were not predictive of local adverse reactions associated with immunotherapy. A moderate association was found between basophil activation and allergen-specific IgE levels, skin reactivity, or RTSS, suggesting that the former is, to some extent, indicative of disease severity. As such, patients with the highest level of basophil activation before treatment were more likely to benefit clinically from SLIT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Allergen reactivity of peripheral blood basophils is not a biomarker for adverse events or early onset of clinical responses to SLIT.
authors: Stallergenes, Antony, France.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Van Overtvelt
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Baron-Bodo
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Horiot
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Moussu
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Ricarte
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Horak
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Zieglmayer
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Zieglmayer
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Montagut
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Galvain
authors: O
authors: O
authors: de Beaumont
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Le Gall
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Moingeon
mesh_terms: D000286:Administration, Sublingual; D000485:Allergens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001491:Basophils / Q000276:immunology*; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D006109:Poaceae / Q000276:immunology*; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology*; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D012882:Skin Tests; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D007073:Immunoglobulin E