Mechanisms of specific immunotherapy of allergic diseases

Engineered Recombinant Peanut Protein and Heat-Killed Listeria monocytogenes Coadministration Protects Against Peanut-Induced Anaphylaxis in a Murine Model

“…In the present study, reductions in IgE and histamine levels by mAra h 1-3 plus HKLM treatment coincided with marked reduction in both incidence and severity of anaphylactic reaction, suggesting that reduced IgE-mast cell activation and histamine release were responsible for the protective effect of mAra h 1-3 plus KLH. IgG2a is a Th1-driven Ab (27)(28)(29)(30), and has been suggested to be a blocking Ab that is responsible in part for the beneficial effect of immunotherapy (31). In the present study, IgG2a levels were increased by mAra h 1-3 plus KLH treatment.…”

Clinical and immunologic changes after allergen immunotherapy with Hop Japanese pollen

“…Double-blind placebo-controlled studies using standardized vaccines have shown that immunotherapy has a beneficial effect on bronchial symptoms and/or decreases the need for asthma medications in both pollen and house dust mite asthma. 15,16 This is the first study to test Hop J pollen immunotherapy in sensitized patients. All the patients showed positive responses to Hop J bronchoprovocation tests.…”

“…15,16 However, recent studies, which demonstrated immunomodulation from Th2 to Th1 responses, cytokine regulation of the immune responses, and specific inhibition or ablation of immune responses by means of tolerance induction, 16 -19 have reinforced the importance and value of allergen immunotherapy. In this study, specific IgG1 and IgG4 levels increased at the end of the initial therapy and were maintained at 1 year after the therapy in all patients, whereas total and specific IgE levels showed variable responses with no significant changes during the immunotherapy.…”

Effects of Allergen Specific Immunotherapy on the Allergens Excluded From the Treatment

“…Decreases in allergen-specific IgE responses are observed in some studies. But more studies do not show significant alteration in IgE responses following allergen immunotherapy, even when significant improvement in clinical symptoms and medication scores are observed (11,12,25).…”

“…Large-scale studies on efficacy of the subcutaneous immunotherapy with inhalant allergens have been undertaken in patients with pollen allergy. Doubleblind placebo-controlled studies using standardized vaccines have shown that immunotherapy has beneficial effects on allergic symptoms and/or decreases the need for allergic diseases' medications for both pollen and house dust mite atopy (11,12).…”