Responses of human birch pollen allergen-reactive T cells to chemically modified allergens (allergoids)

Background Allergoids are widely used in specific immunotherapy for the treatment of IgE-mediated allergic diseases. Objective The aim of this study was to analyse whether a modification of birch pollen allergens with formaldehyde affects the availability of T-cell epitopes. Methods Efficient modification of the allergens was verified by determining IgE and IgG binding activity using ELISA inhibition tests. T-cell responses to birch pollen allergoids were analysed in polyclonal systems, using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of five birch pollen-allergic individuals, as well as birch pollen extract-reactive T-cell lines (TCL), established from the peripheral blood of 14 birch polle…