Vol.95 No.1 contentsPRACTICA OTO-RHINO-LARYNGOLOGICA
Vol. 95 No. 1 January 2002
Allergen-Specific Immunotherapy for Perennial Allergic Rhinitis
-Changes in Allergen-Specific T Cell Responses-
Yushi Washio
（Osaka City University）
This study was designed to investigate the working mechanism of immunotherapy at the level of T cell reactivity to the allergen and to determine possible predictable factors of successful immunotherapy for allergic rhinitis. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were obtained from 60 patients with perennial allergic rhinitis due to Dermatophagoides farinae, and were cultured with Der f 1 for 96 hours to determine the cytokine synthesis. Forty-six patients were treated for 2 years with immunotherapy using standardized D. farinae extracts, and the remainder were treated with antiallergic medications. Clinical improvement was obtained in more than 90％ of the patients treated with immunotherapy. IL-5 synthesis was significantly reduced in the patients treated with immunotherapy. However, such reduction was not observed in the patients treated with antiallergic medications. The suppression of the allergen-induced IL-5 synthesis was most likely to be involved in the working mechanism of immunotherapy. However, this study has failed to determine predictable factors of successful immunotherapy for allergic rhinitis.
Key words : immunotherapy, perennial allergic rhinitis, peripheral blood mononuclear cell, IL-5