Effect of allergen-specific immunotherapy on cytokine concentration and sensitization to house dust mite in patients with bronchial asthma

The purpose of the study is assessment of the effect of sublingual-oral and intradermal allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT) on sensitization to house dust mite, concentration of class E immunoglobulins (IgE), and levels of interleukins (IL-5, IL-8, TGF-β) in patients with bronchial asthma (BA). Materials and methods. The study involved 80 patients aged 18-60 years with allergic and mixed BA who received standard pharmacotherapy (PT) and low-dose sublingual-oral ASIT (40 patients), PT and high-dose intradermal ASIT (30 patients), only PT (10 patients). The dynamics of skin sensitization and the level of IgE antibodies to the D.pteronyssinus mite, transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), interleukin-8 (IL-8), interleukin-5 (IL-5) in blood serum were assessed after 12 months after the start of ASIT. The results of the study. Under the influence of intradermal and sublingual-oral ASIT, but not PT, the level of IL-8 decreased (p=0.007 and p=0.005, respectively) and skin sensitization to the house dust mite allergen D.pteronyssinus (p<0.001 in both ASIT groups), decreased the level of IgE antibodies to house dust mite (p=0.012 and p=0.027, respectively), the level of TGF-β increased with its initially low level (p=0.001 and p<0.001, respectively). Conclusion. Both ASIT methods induced immunological tolerance in patients, suppressing skin sensitization and reducing the production of specific IgE, and also exerted a modulating effect on the immune response by increasing the level of TGF-β.