title: Trichuris suis ova therapy for allergic rhinitis does not affect allergen-specific cytokine responses despite a parasite-specific cytokine response.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Parasitic helminths have been shown to reduce inflammation in most experimental models of allergic disease, and this effect is mediated via cytokine responses. However, in humans, the effects of controlled helminth infection on cytokine responses during allergy have not been studied.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim was to investigate whether infection with the nematode parasite Trichuris suis alters systemic cytokine levels, cellular cytokine responses to parasite antigens and pollen allergens and/or the cytokine profile of allergic individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical trial (UMIN trial registry, Registration no. R000001298, Trial ID UMIN000001070, URL: http://www.umin.ac.jp/map/english), adults with grass pollen-induced allergic rhinitis received three weekly doses of 2500 Trichuris suis ova (n = 45) or placebo (n = 44) over 6 months. IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10 and IL-13 were quantified via cytometric bead array in plasma. Cytokines, including active TGF-β, were also quantified in supernatants from peripheral blood mononuclear cells cultured with parasite antigens or pollen allergens before, during and after the grass pollen season for a sub-cohort of randomized participants (T. suis ova-treated, n = 12, Placebo-treated, n = 10).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Helminth infection induced a Th2-polarized cytokine response comprising elevated plasma IL-5 and parasite-specific IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13, and a global shift in the profile of systemic cytokine responses. Infection also elicited high levels of the regulatory cytokine IL-10 in response to T. suis antigens. Despite increased production of T. suis-specific cytokines in T. suis ova-treated participants, allergen-specific cytokine responses during the grass pollen season and the global profile of PBMC cytokine responses were not affected by T. suis ova treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that cytokines induced by Trichuris suis ova treatment do not alter allergic reactivity to pollen during the peak of allergic rhinitis symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. claire.bourke@york.ac.uk
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Bourke
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mutapi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nausch
authors.forename: D M F
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Photiou
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Poulsen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kristensen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arnved
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rønborg
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roepstorff
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thamsborg
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kapel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melbye
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bager
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010063:Ovum / Q000276:immunology*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D006109:Poaceae / Q000276:immunology; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology; D065631:Rhinitis, Allergic; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*; D014257:Trichuriasis / Q000276:immunology; D014258:Trichuris / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D016207:Cytokines