Skin tests, T cell responses and self-reported symptoms in children with allergic rhinitis and asthma due to house dust mite allergy

• Published in: Clinical and experimental allergy 2009-02, Vol.39 (2), p.222-227
• Main Authors: Moed, H., Gerth van Wijk, R., De Jongste, J. C., Van Der Wouden, J. C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; allergic rhinitis; Animals; asthma; Asthma - diagnosis; Asthma - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Breath Tests; Child; children; Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus; Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus - immunology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; house dust mite; Humans; Hypersensitivity, Delayed - immunology; Interleukin-13 - metabolism; Interleukin-5 - metabolism; late-phase response; Lymphocyte Activation - immunology; Male; Medical Records; Medical sciences; Nitric Oxide - analysis; Nitric Oxide - metabolism; Non tumoral diseases; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial - diagnosis; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial - immunology; Skin Tests; symptom severity; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - metabolism; Upper respiratory tract, upper alimentary tract, paranasal sinuses, salivary glands: diseases, semeiology
• ISSN: 0954-7894; 1365-2222
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.2008.03130.x

Summary Background In allergic responses, a distinction is made between an early‐phase response, several minutes after allergen exposure, and a late‐phase response after several hours. During the late phase, eosinophils and T cells infiltrate the mucosa and play an important role in inflammation. Objective The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between allergen‐induced late‐phase skin responses and in vitro T cell reactivity. In addition, the relationship between allergen‐induced skin or T cell responses and the severity of self‐reported symptoms was studied in children with house dust mite allergy. Methods A total of 59 house dust mite‐allergic children (6–18 years) were recruited in general practice. These children or their parents rated their nasal and asthma symptoms on diary cards during 1 month. Allergen skin tests were performed and read after 15 min (early phase) and 6 h (late phase). Allergen‐specific T cell proliferation was determined, and Th2 cytokine (IL‐5 and IL‐13) secretion was analysed. Results The size of the late‐phase skin response correlated with in vitro T cell proliferation (rs=0.38, P=0.003) but not with Th2 cytokine secretion (rs=0.16, P=0.2 for both IL‐5 and IL‐13). Moreover, the late‐phase skin response and T cell proliferation correlated with asthma symptoms (rs=0.30, P=0.02 for skin response and rs=0.28, P=0.03 for T cell proliferation) but not with nasal symptoms (rs=0.19, P=0.15 for skin response and rs=0.09, P=0.52 for T cell proliferation). The early‐phase skin response correlated with the nasal symptom score (rs=0.34, P=0.01) but not with asthma symptom scores (rs