title: Decreased level of osteopontin in children with allergic rhinitis during sublingual immunotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is proven to be very effective in the treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR), but its regulatory mechanism and biomarkers for predicting efficacy are still unknown. Osteopontin (OPN), as a recently described Th2 inflammation related protein, plays key role in the pathogenesis of AR. The aim of this study was to identify the expression and role of OPN during SLIT in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty house dust mite (HDM)-sensitized children with AR were enrolled in this study. AR children received HDM allergen extract or placebo for SLIT. Serum of different time points during treatment was collected and used for enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA) of OPN and related cytokines, respectively. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from children after SLIT or placebo treatment were collected and stimulated with HDM with or without OPN/anti-OPN after one year's treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results showed that expression of OPN protein was decreased after one year's therapy. The decreased OPN expression was positively related to decreased Th2 cytokines and negatively related to enhanced IL-10 and TGF-β expression. In vitro experiments confirmed that children received SLIT treatment showed decreased production of Th2 cytokines by PBMCs after HDM stimulation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  During SLIT, decreased OPN expression was related to low Th2 cytokine expression and enhanced IL-10 and TGF-β expression. High serum OPN expression predicts poor treatment efficacy. OPN may be used as a biomarker for SLIT treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, First Affiliated Hospital to Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Chunrui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Ningbo Medical Treatment Center Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo, China.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, First Affiliated Hospital to Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Shaoting
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, First Affiliated Hospital to Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Xiaowei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, First Affiliated Hospital to Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Kewa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, First Affiliated Hospital to Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China. Electronic address: crystalwang_18@163.com.
authors.forename: Tianhong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D053495:Osteopontin / Q000097:blood*; D039981:Pyroglyphidae / Q000276:immunology; D065631:Rhinitis, Allergic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D063729:Sublingual Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D053495:Osteopontin
keywords: Allergic rhinitis; Osteopontin; Sublingual immunotherapy; Th2 cytokines