Lack of allergy to timothy grass pollen is not a passive phenomenon but associated with the allergen-specific modulation of immune reactivity.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Timothy grass (TG) pollen is a common seasonal airborne allergen associated with symptoms ranging from mild rhinitis to severe asthma.

Objective

The aim of this study was to characterize changes in TG-specific T cell responses as a function of seasonality.

Methods

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from allergic individuals and non-allergic controls, either during the pollen season or out of season, were stimulated with either TG extract or a pool of previously identified immunodominant antigenic regions.

Results

PBMCs from allergic subjects exhibit higher IL-5 and IL-10 responses in season than when collected out of season. In the case of non-allergic subjects, as expected we observed lower IL-5 responses and robust production of IF

SUBMITTER: Hinz D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4846575 | biostudies-literature | 2016 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature