Severe and life-threatening side effects can occur in patients receiving allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT), and recombinant allergens made from cDNA have been used in clinical trials for ten years and appear promising for SIT. The aim of this study is to explore the effects of the recombinant allergen Der f 2 (the group 2 allergen from Dermatophagoides farinae) on the neuro-endocrino-immune network in asthmatic mice. Twenty-eight mice were divided into four groups - A, B, C and D. To induce asthma, a crude extract of D. farinae was injected intraperitoneally into the mice in groups B, C and D. Later, the crude extract or recombinant allergen rDer f 2 was given to groups C and D, respectively. Normal saline was given to groups A and B. Serum corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), corticosterone (CORT), interleukin 4 (IL-4), and interferon γ (IFN-γ) were detected by immunoassay and the pathological change of lung tissue was observed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Serum CRH, ACTH, CORT, and IFN-γ were highest in healthy group A but lowest in asthma group B. Treatment with the crude extract or recombinant allergen rDer f 2 significantly attenuated this response in asthmatic mice, but there was no difference between the two treatments (p > 0.05). Serum IL-4 was elevated in asthma group B but lowest in healthy group A. Treatment with the crude extract or recombinant allergen rDer f 2 significantly attenuated this response in asthmatic mice, but there was no significant difference between the two treatments (p > 0.05). However, lung pathology as measured histologically (Underwood Score) showed that rDer f 2-treatment was significantly better than crude extract treatment (p < 0.05). In brief, recombinant allergen Der f 2 can strengthen the function of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, affect the balance of Th1 and Th2 cytokines, and reduce pulmonary inflammation in asthmatic mice.
Keywords: Dermatophagoides farinae; asthma; neuro-endocrino-immune network; recombinant allergen.