Allergen-specific conventional immunotherapy decreases immunoglobulin E-mediated basophil histamine releasability

• Published in: Clinical and experimental allergy Vol. 33; no. 1; pp. 52 - 57
• Main Authors: Shim, J.-Y., Kim, B.-S., Cho, S.-H., Min, K.-U., Hong, S.-J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01.01.2003; Blackwell; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Adolescent; Allergens - therapeutic use; Asthma - immunology; Asthma - therapy; atopic asthma; Basophils - immunology; Basophils - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Dermatophagoides farinae; Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus; Female; Histamine Release; Humans; IgE-mediated basophil histamine releasability; Immunoglobulin E - blood; Immunoglobulin E - immunology; Immunopathology; immunotherapy; Immunotherapy (general aspects); Immunotherapy - methods; Male; Medical sciences; non-IgE-mediated basophil histamine releasability; Statistics, Nonparametric; Time Factors; Human; Immunopathology; Allergy; atopic asthma; Desensitization; Respiratory disease; IgE; Granulocyte; House dust; Mite; non- IgE-mediated basophil histamine releasability; Basophil; Asthma; Atopy; Histamine; Treatment; Immunotherapy; IgE-mediated basophil histamine releasability; Aeroallergen; Obstructive pulmonary disease; Mechanism of action; Child; Release; Allergen
• ISSN: 0954-7894; 1365-2222
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2222.2003.01567.x

Summary Background Allergen‐specific immunotherapy has proven to be clinically effective in the treatment of patients with atopic asthma; however, the mechanisms are still unclear. Several noted immunological changes include an increase of the allergen‐specific IgG antibody, a reduction in the allergen‐specific IgE antibody subsequent to transient increase, an allergen‐specific T cell shift in cytokine production from Th2 to Th1, and a decrease in quantity and activity of basophils and mast cells. Objective To analyse the changes of basophil histamine release in response to IgE‐mediated and non‐IgE‐mediated stimuli before and after conventional house‐dust mite immunotherapy in children who suffer from atopic asthma. Methods Fourteen Dermatophagoides farinae (Df) sensitive asthmatic children with conventional immunotherapy were examined. Basophil histamine releasability was measured 0 months (just before immunotherapy), 4 months and 9 months after immunotherapy. Basophils were stimulated with Df and goat anti‐human IgE antibody as IgE‐mediated stimuli; and formyl‐Met‐Leu‐Phe (fMLP) and calcium ionophore A23187 as non‐IgE‐mediated stimuli. Accordingly, the asthma symptom score was used to assess clinical outcome and the skin test reactivity to Df was measured. Results In contrast to pre‐immunotherapy activity, 4 and 9 months after immunotherapy there were significant decreases in histamine release by Df and by anti‐IgE antibody. The histamine release by fMLP and by calcium ionophore showed no significant changes after immunotherapy. Histamine release by Df demonstrated significant correlation to that by anti‐IgE antibody and by fMLP, yet there was no observable correlation between histamine release by Df and by calcium ionophore. The asthma symptom score decreased significantly 4 and 9 months after immunotherapy and showed significant correlation with histamine release by Df. The skin test reactivity (allergen/histamine ratio) remained constant 4 months after immunotherapy, but decreased significantly 9 months after immunotherapy. Conclusion Basophils have the potential to play an important role in the early clinical improvement of conventional immunotherapy in children with atopic asthma, which may be a result of the decreased IgE‐mediated histamine releasability during immunotherapy.