Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Center Sestre Milosrdnice, Zagreb, Croatia.
Allergy Asthma Proc. 2012 Nov-Dec;33(6):525-30. doi: 10.2500/aap.2012.33.3608.
Venom immunotherapy (VIT) induces immune tolerance to Hymenoptera venom but the underlying mechanisms are not clarified. Regulatory T cells are thought to play an important role in tolerance induction during specific immunotherapy. Our objective was to determine the effects of rush VIT on the percentage of regulatory T cells and immunosuppressive cytokines interleukin (IL)-10 and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) in children. Blood samples were collected from 18 children with a previous systemic allergic reaction to a Hymenoptera sting, with a positive skin test and positive specific IgE, before rush VIT, after 6 weeks and 6 months of rush VIT. Ten children with no history of venom allergy were studied as controls. Isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stained with specific markers for regulatory T cells and analyzed by flow cytometry. The percentage of regulatory T cells did not change during rush VIT in children. No change was noticed in the percentage of IL-10 and TGF-beta secreting cells after 6 weeks or 6 months of VIT. No difference in expression of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 on CD4(+)CD25(+high) was found. Rush VIT is a safe and effective treatment for patients allergic to Hymenoptera venom. Although regulatory T cells are considered to be responsible for this effect; no significant changes in the percentage of these cells or immunosuppressive cytokines were noticed during rush VIT in children. Additional investigations are needed to clarify the role of regulatory T cells in the induction of tolerance during rush VIT in children.
毒液免疫疗法（VIT）可诱导对蜂毒液的免疫耐受，但潜在机制尚不清楚。调节性 T 细胞被认为在特异性免疫治疗期间诱导耐受中发挥重要作用。我们的目的是确定速发型 VIT 对儿童调节性 T 细胞百分比以及免疫抑制细胞因子白细胞介素（IL）-10 和转化生长因子β（TGF-β）的影响。从 18 名有蜂蜇史的儿童中采集血样，这些儿童对蜂蜇有全身性过敏反应，皮试阳性，特异性 IgE 阳性，在进行速发型 VIT 之前、进行 6 周和 6 个月的速发型 VIT 后进行采集。选择 10 名无蜂毒过敏史的儿童作为对照组。用调节性 T 细胞的特异性标记物对分离的外周血单核细胞进行染色，并通过流式细胞术进行分析。在儿童进行速发型 VIT 期间，调节性 T 细胞的百分比没有变化。在 VIT 治疗 6 周或 6 个月后，IL-10 和 TGF-β分泌细胞的百分比没有变化。未发现 CD4(+)CD25(+high)上细胞毒性 T 淋巴细胞抗原 4 的表达有差异。速发型 VIT 是治疗蜂毒液过敏患者的安全有效方法。尽管调节性 T 细胞被认为是导致这种效应的原因，但在儿童进行速发型 VIT 期间，这些细胞或免疫抑制细胞因子的百分比没有明显变化。需要进一步研究以阐明调节性 T 细胞在速发型 VIT 诱导儿童耐受中的作用。
