title: Immunological and clinical factors associated with adverse systemic reactions during the build-up phase of honeybee venom immunotherapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Adverse systemic reactions (SRs) are more common in honeybee venom immunotherapy (VIT) than in wasp VIT. Factors that might be associated with SRs during the honeybee VIT are poorly understood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to evaluate risk factors for SRs during the build-up phase of honeybee venom immunotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included 93 patients who underwent ultra-rush honeybee VIT. The adverse SRs and their severity was compared to various immunological (sIgE, tIgE, basophil CD63 response, baseline tryptase, and skin tests), patient-specific (age, sex, cardiovascular conditions and medications, and other allergic diseases), and sting-specific factors (anaphylaxis severity, time interval to onset of symptoms, and absence of cutaneous symptoms).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-three patients (24.7%) experienced mild SRs and 13 patients (14%) severe SRs. In five patients with severe SRs, the build-up was stopped. High basophil allergen sensitivity, evaluated as dose-response curve metrics of EC15, EC50, CD-sens, AUC, or the response to submaximal 0.01 μg/mL of venom concentration, was the most significant risk factor and only independent predictor of severe SRs and/or build-up stop. Time interval of <5 min after sting to onset of symptoms and lower specific IgEs to rApi m1 was also associated with severe SRs. There was no difference in other immunological, patient-specific, or sting-specific factors, including the baseline tryptase. None of the studied factors was associated with mild SRs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High basophil allergen CD63 sensitivity phenotype was a major indicator of severe adverse SRs during the build-up phase of honeybee VIT. Possibly role was also showed for short latency to filed sting reaction and low sIgE to rApi m1. Before honeybee VIT, measurement of basophil allergen sensitivity should be used to identify patients with a high risk for severe side-effects.
authors.affiliation: University Clinic of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases, Golnik, Slovenia.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Korošec
authors.affiliation: University Clinic of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases, Golnik, Slovenia.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Žiberna
authors.affiliation: University Clinic of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases, Golnik, Slovenia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Šilar
authors.affiliation: University Clinic of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases, Golnik, Slovenia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dežman
authors.affiliation: University Clinic of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases, Golnik, Slovenia.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Čelesnik Smodiš
authors.affiliation: University Clinic of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases, Golnik, Slovenia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rijavec
authors.affiliation: University Clinic of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases, Golnik, Slovenia.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kopač
authors.affiliation: University Clinic of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases, Golnik, Slovenia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Eržen
authors.affiliation: University Clinic of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases, Golnik, Slovenia.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lalek
authors.affiliation: University Clinic of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases, Golnik, Slovenia.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bajrović
authors.affiliation: University Clinic of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases, Golnik, Slovenia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Košnik
authors.affiliation: University Clinic of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases, Golnik, Slovenia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zidarn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001491:Basophils / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D001514:Bee Venoms / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060149:Tetraspanin 30 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001514:Bee Venoms; D060149:Tetraspanin 30
keywords: CD63; IgE; adverse systemic reactions; basophils; honeybee venom allergy; immunotherapy; risk factors