Increased IL-5 and IL-13 cytokine level in ex vivo stimulated whole blood cells from grass pollen allergic donors correlate with seasonal exposure

Anurag Singh; Sébastien Holvoet; Marietta Weiss; Maurice Beaumont; Adrian W Zuercher; Annick Mercenier

doi:10.1016/j.rinim.2011.07.002

Increased IL-5 and IL-13 cytokine level in ex vivo stimulated whole blood cells from grass pollen allergic donors correlate with seasonal exposure

Results Immunol. 2011 Jul 27;1(1):18-23. doi: 10.1016/j.rinim.2011.07.002. eCollection 2011.

Authors

Anurag Singh¹, Sébastien Holvoet¹, Marietta Weiss¹, Maurice Beaumont², Adrian W Zuercher¹, Annick Mercenier¹

Affiliations

¹ Allergy Group, Department of Nutrition & Health, Nestle Research Center, Vers-chez-les-Blanc, CH-1000 Lausanne 26, Switzerland.
² Clinical Evaluation Group, Department of Bio-Analytical Science, Nestle Research Center, Vers-chez-les-Blanc, CH-1000 Lausanne 26, Switzerland.

Abstract

There is a need for simple and physiological assays to characterize the immune status of allergic individuals. Whole blood samples from 15 adult subjects (10 with positive clinical history to grass pollen and 5 with negative clinical history) were obtained before the start (April 2010) and during the middle of the grass pollen season (June 2010). The investigators were blinded to the allergic status of the subjects. A skin prick test (SPT) to grass pollen was carried out at the end of the study. Cytokines (IL-5, IL-13, IL-10 and IFNγ) and activation of T-lymphocytes were determined after ex vivo culture of whole blood cells. IL-5, IL-10 and IL-13 cytokines were significantly elevated in allergic individuals during the middle of the season (p≤0.02) compared to the start. This assay can be a valuable tool in clinical trials especially in pediatric population where limited quantities of blood are available to study immune responses.

Keywords: Allergy; Grass pollen; IL-13; IL-5; Whole blood.