title: Immunological markers in allergic rhinitis patients treated with date palm immunotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Allergic rhinitis (AR) is regulated by the local production and release of several cytokines. Allergen specific immunotherapy (IT) has been widely used for many years as a specific treatment of allergic diseases. This study aimed to investigate the changes in clinical and immunological markers before and after Phoenix dactylifera IT in AR patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Total symptom score and levels of total immunoglobulin E (IgE), albumin, interferon (IFN)-γ, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-10, IL-4, and IL-13 were measured in the serum and nasal samples of thirty non-atopic healthy controls and thirty patients with allergic rhinitis before and after 15 months of IT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found significantly higher concentrations of serum TNF-α and nasal TNF-α and IL-13, and significantly lower concentration of nasal IL-10, in allergic patients than in non-allergic. Moreover, serum and nasal IL-10 increased significantly after IT. However, there was neither a significant reduction in total IgE nor a significant increase in IFN-γ at the end of IT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data show a clinical improvement associated with a decline in some inflammation parameters after IT. Moreover, date palm IT induced a significant increase in serum and nasal IL-10 levels.
authors.affiliation: Immunology Research Lab, Faculty of Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt. gsboghdadi@zu.edu.eg
authors.forename: Ghada
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boghdadi
authors.forename: Ayman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marei
authors.forename: Atef
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Gamal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lotfy
authors.forename: Magdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abdulfattah
authors.forename: Samir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sorour
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000418:Albumins / Q000276:immunology; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D028023:Arecaceae / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000276:immunology; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology*; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D012882:Skin Tests; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D000485:Allergens; D016207:Cytokines; D010936:Plant Extracts; D007073:Immunoglobulin E