title: The influence of house dust mite sublingual immunotherapy on the TSLP-OX40L signaling pathway in patients with allergic rhinitis.
abstract: This study aimed to investigate the clinical efficacy of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) with house dust mite (HDM) extract and to examine T helper 2 (Th2)-type immune responses mediated by the thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP-OX40L) signaling pathway in patients with moderate to severe allergic rhinitis (AR) after 12-month HDM SLIT.
  
  
  
  Forty-six cases of HDM-sensitized patients with persistent AR in southern China were enrolled in this study. Clinical efficacy of SLIT was assessed by determining the individual nasal symptom score (INSS) and total nasal symptom score (TNSS) after 12-month HDM SLIT. Moreover, the TSLP-OX40L signaling pathway was investigated through measurements of TSLP by enzyme-labeled immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and OX40L by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and flow cytometry.
  
  
  
  After 12 months of HDM SLIT, TNSS and INSS were significantly decreased overall compared with baseline values (p < 0.001). By the end of the 12-month HDM SLIT, TNSS had declined by ∼50% compared with baseline, and the corresponding level of TSLP in nasal lavage decreased significantly (p < 0.05). The level of OX40L messenger RNA (mRNA) in blood was markedly decreased significantly after 12-month HDM SLIT compared with baseline (t = 12.300, p < 0.05). Furthermore, significant decreases in OX40L expression on the surface of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) (t = 13.100, p < 0.05) and OX40L expression on the surface of CD11c+CD86+ cells in PBMCs (t = 9.946, p < 0.05) after 12-month HDM SLIT were observed.
  
  
  
  HDM SLIT downregulated Th2-type immune responses mediated by the TSLP-OX40L signaling pathway in patients with persistent moderate to severe AR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Qingxiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xiaolong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Long
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Jinghua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Xionghui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Xiaozhong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liang
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D017817:Nasal Lavage Fluid / Q000276:immunology; D053278:OX40 Ligand / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D039981:Pyroglyphidae / Q000276:immunology*; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine / Q000276:immunology*; D065631:Rhinitis, Allergic / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D015398:Signal Transduction; D063729:Sublingual Immunotherapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides; C498762:CRLF2 protein, human; D053278:OX40 Ligand; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine; C089251:TNFSF4 protein, human
keywords: OX40L; T lymphocytes; TSLP; allergic rhinitis; sublingual immunotherapy