title: Desensitization effect of preseasonal seven-injection allergoid immunotherapy with olive pollen on basophil activation: the efficacy of olive pollen-specific preseasonal allergoid immunotherapy on basophils.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It has previously been demonstrated that subcutaneous immunotherapy with allergoids positively affects clinical and immunological parameters even after 7 preseasonal injections. However, its effect on basophil activation remains unclear. We investigated the effect of preseasonal allergoid immunotherapy on basophils and concomitantly assessed its clinical and immunological efficacy in olive pollen-monosensitized patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study enrolled 437 consecutive patients with respiratory allergy and positive skin prick tests (SPTs); 212 (48.5%) patients were sensitized to olive pollen, and 33 (7.5%) patients were sensitized to olive pollen only. Of these patients, 23 received preseasonal immunotherapy with an olive pollen allergoid. The olive pollen-specific basophil activation, the titrated nasal provocation test, the nasal symptom score, and olive pollen-specific IgE, IgG1 and IgG4 levels were evaluated before immunotherapy and 8 months after the end of immunotherapy in the follow-up visit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In comparison to baseline evaluation, 7 preseasonal injections of an allergoid resulted in a significant decrease in the percentage of basophils expressing CD63 (29 vs. 7%, respectively, p < 0.0001) and a significant increase in the titrated nasal provocative dose (1/10 vs. 1/1, respectively, p < 0.01). SPT induration diameters caused by an olive pollen extract decreased (12 mm at baseline vs. 5.5 mm at follow-up, p < 0.005), as did nasal symptom score (7 at baseline vs. 3 at follow-up, p < 0.01). Olive pollen-specific IgE (17.5 vs. 50 kU/l, p < 0.012), IgG1 (0.16 vs. 2.9 µg/ml, p < 0.0001) and IgG4 (0.07 vs. 1.92 µg/ml, p < 0.0001) levels significantly increased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Immunotherapy with 7 preseasonal injections of an olive pollen allergoid decreases olive pollen-specific basophil activation over 8 months, an effect observed in vitro and in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey. enihalmete@yahoo.com.tr
authors.forename: Nihal Mete
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Gokmen
authors.forename: Ramazan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ersoy
authors.forename: Okan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gulbahar
authors.forename: Omur
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ardeniz
authors.forename: Aytul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sin
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Unsel
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kokuludag
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D000080384:Allergoids; D001491:Basophils / Q000276:immunology*; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009299:Nasal Provocation Tests; D031658:Olea / Q000276:immunology*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000276:immunology*; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology*; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D012621:Seasons; D012882:Skin Tests; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D000080384:Allergoids; D010936:Plant Extracts