Clinical immunology
The influence of sublingual immunotherapy on lymphocytes’ subpopulations from children suffering from controlled bronchial asthma

Olga Ciepiela, Anna Zawadzka-Krajewska, Iwona Kotuła, Urszula Demkow

(Centr Eur J Immunol 2011; 36 (4): 243-247)

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Background : Specific immunotherapy is a causative, effective asthma treatment. Its clinical efficacy has been already proven, but the influence of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) on peripheral blood leukocytes is still investigated.

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the influence of one year sublingual

immunotherapy on the frequency of T cells’ subsets and naI¨ve and memory lymphocytes.

Material and methods: Twenty-five individuals aged 8.13 ±3.08 years old, 21 boys and 4 girls, suffering from atopic asthma and allergic rhinitis, shortlisted for specific immunotherapy, served as study group. Tests were performed before and after twelve months of specific sublingual immunotherapy. Nineteen children (76%), 18 boys and 1 girl, were examined before and after one year SLIT with Staloral 300 composed individually for each patient. The assessment of CD2, CD4, CD8, CD45RA and CD45RO antigens expression on cells from peripheral blood collected to tubes containing EDTA was performed with the use of Cytomics FC500 flow cytometer (Beckman Coulter).

Results : CD4+ to CD8+ T cells ratio increased significantly after one year of sublingual immunotherapy. Before SLIT CD4/CD8 was of 1.53 (1.30; 1.70), whereas after one year of therapy 1.58 (1.51; 1.84), p = 0.0464. Although, no differences were found in the frequency of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. The percentage of naI¨ve and memory cells in peripheral blood of asthmatics before and after one year of allergen-specific treatment did not change either.

Conclusions : One year of SLIT influenced the immunological system of asthmatic children causing increase of CD4/CD8 T cells ratio.

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