title: Effect of Japanese cedar specific immunotherapy on allergen-specific T(H)2 cells in peripheral blood.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The involvement of a shift from TH2 to TH1 responses in peripheral blood in pollen subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) has been contentious, partly because of difficulties analyzing antigen-specific TH cells.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To use recent technical advances to establish a more direct and simple method to analyze antigen-specific TH cells and to clarify the involvement of a TH2/TH1 shift in peripheral blood in pollen specific immunotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  After short-term (6-hour) antigen stimulation, antigen-specific TH cells in peripheral blood of Japanese children and young adults with Japanese cedar pollinosis undergoing SCIT were analyzed by multicolor flow cytometry for the presence of the activation marker CD154 and intracellular cytokines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-eight patients between 5 and 22 years of age were enrolled in the study; 22 had started SCIT after enrolling in the study (SCIT group), and the remaining 6 were planning to start SCIT in the next off-season (control group). The number of Japanese cedar-specific interleukin (IL) 5-, IL-4-, interferon γ-, IL-17A-, IL-10-, and tumor necrosis factor α-producing TH cells without antigen-driven cell proliferation was determined. The seasonal increase in the number of Japanese cedar-specific IL-5- and IL-4-producing TH cells seen in the control group was suppressed in the SCIT group (P < .005 and <.001, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We report a powerful method for the analysis of antigen-specific TH cells in peripheral blood. This method will contribute to our understanding of immune mechanisms of immunotherapy and help us develop more sophisticated allergen specific immunotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan. tnomura@med.nagoya-cu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takayasu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nomura
authors.forename: Ikuya
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tsuge
authors.forename: Chisato
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Inuo
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Norihiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Naruse
authors.forename: Satoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Yasuto
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saitoh
authors.forename: Atsuo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Urisu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D052179:Antigens, Plant / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D032485:Cryptomeria / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000628:therapy*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D052179:Antigens, Plant; D016207:Cytokines