title: Short-, Intermediate-, and Long-Term Changes in Basophil Reactivity Induced by Venom Immunotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The basophil activation test (BAT) has been used to monitor venom immunotherapy (VIT) due to its high specificity. A previous study has reported a good correlation between a significant decrease in basophil activation during 5 years of VIT and clinical protection assessed by sting challenge. The following prospective study was performed to examine changes in basophil reactivity over a complete VIT period of 5 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  BAT in a dose-response curve was studied prospectively in 10 hymenoptera venom-allergic patients over 5 years of VIT. BAT was performed at the time of diagnosis, 1 month after finishing the VIT build-up phase, and 3, 6, 12, 24, and 60 months after beginning treatment. The repeated measures ANOVA was applied to evaluate basophil activation changes throughout VIT. A cross-sectional study was also performed in 6 patients who received treatment for more than 3 years, and in another 12 patients who followed immunotherapy for at least 5 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An early activation decrease was observed during the first 3 months of treatment, compared to pre-treatment values. This activation decrease was not maintained 6 to 18 months after treatment, but was observed again after 2 years of treatment, and maintained until the completion of the 5-year immunotherapy period. In cross-sectional analysis, the 6 patients who received treatment for 3 years, and 9 of the 12 patients who received treatment for 5 years, had negative BAT results. Three patients in this last group had positive BAT results and 2 patients had systemic reactions after field stings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BAT appears to be an optimal non-invasive test for close monitoring of VIT.
authors.affiliation: Ciudad de Coria Hospital, Allergy Department, Cáceres, Spain. ana.rodriguez@ses.juntaextremadura.net; trabadoro@yahoo.es.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodríguez Trabado
authors.affiliation: San Pedro de Alcántara Hospital, Immunology Department, Cáceres Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cámara Hijón
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, University of Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain.
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramos Cantariño
authors.affiliation: San Pedro de Alcántara Hospital, Immunology Department, Cáceres Spain.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Romero-Chala
authors.affiliation: San Pedro de Alcántara Hospital, Immunology Department, Cáceres Spain.
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: García-Trujillo
authors.affiliation: San Pedro de Alcántara Hospital, Immunology Department, Cáceres Spain.
authors.forename: Luis Miguel
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Fernández Pereira
keywords: Activation; CD63; basophil; immunotherapy; venom