The role of active B cells in allergen immunotherapy

Publication date: Available online 21 February 2017
Source:Allergologia et Immunopathologia
Author(s): M.H. Celiksoy, R. Sancak, A. Yildiran
BackgroundThe purpose of this study is to examine the changes in B lymphocyte subsets in patients receiving allergen immunotherapy.MethodsB lymphocyte subsets of patients before immunotherapy and one year after immunotherapy began were examined using the flow cytometric method. Age-matched healthy children served as the control group.ResultsTwenty-two patients with asthma and/or allergic rhinitis and 14 healthy, age-matched controls were included in the study. The median age of the patients was 13 years old (range: 6–20 years), and eleven (50.0%) were male. The median age of the healthy controls was also 13 years old (range: 7–17), and seven (50.0%) were male. In the age group from 11 to 15 years; the patients' relative and absolute counts of active and mature sensitive B cells were higher than those of the healthy children (p=0.027–0.012 and p=0.032–0.010, respectively) before immunotherapy. The relative and absolute counts of active B cells before immunotherapy were also significantly higher than those of after immunotherapy (p=0.001–0.001, p=0.025–0.037, and p=0.029–0.035, respectively). Before immunotherapy, the relative and absolute counts of mature sensitive B cells were significantly higher than those obtained after immunotherapy (p=0.024–0.006) in the 11–15-year-old age group.ConclusionsAllergen immunotherapy directly influences B cell differentiation and causes a decrease in the count of active B cells. This finding is relevant because the B cell count can be used as a guide in the assessment of an individual patient's treatment response and also when determining whether to continue the immunotherapy.



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