Search results for "Desensitization"

The Role of Interleukin 10 in the Regulation of Allergic Immune Responses

2001

Several clinical studies and animal models have shown that Th2 lymphocytes play a key role in the pathophysiology of IgE-mediated allergic immune responses like allergic rhinitis and asthma or venom anaphylaxis. Classical specific immunotherapy (SIT) that has been proven to be clinically effective can serve as a role model for immunological changes that are associated with amelioration of allergic diseases. During SIT, the Th2-dominated immune response is modified towards a Th1 response leading to a decline in allergen-specific IgE and an increase in allergen-specific IgG production. Most importantly, however, production of the immunosuppressive/-regulatory cytokine interleukin 10 (IL-10) i…

Prophylactic and therapeutic intervention in IgE responses by biolistic DNA vaccination primarily targeting dendritic cells.

2005

Background Allergen gene transfer represents an alternative approach to specific immunotherapy with allergen extracts. Gene gun–mediated DNA immunization with plasmid vectors expressing a transgene under control of the promoter of the fascin gene (pFascin) allows for antigen production predominantly by dendritic cells and resulted in the generation of CD8 + cytotoxic T lymphocytes as well as in the development of a type 1 immune response. Objective We compared the in vivo efficiency of biolistic transfection with pFascin and plasmids containing the cytomegalovirus promoter (pCMV) in a mouse model of type I allergy. Methods BALB/c mice were sensitized with the model allergen β-galactosidase …

Prevention of long-term IgE antibody production by gene gun-mediated DNA vaccination.

2004

Background Vaccination with allergen-encoding DNA represents a promising approach for the treatment of allergic diseases. Objective In a mouse model of type I allergy, we analyzed the ability of biolistic transfection to inhibit antigen-specific IgE production and to modulate T H 2 responses. Methods BALB/c mice were vaccinated by means of gene gun–mediated DNA immunization with plasmid vector pCMV-βGal, encoding β-galactosidase as a model allergen. Subsequently, mice were immunized by means of repeated intraperitoneal injection of β-galactosidase adsorbed to the adjuvant aluminum hydroxide. Development of IgE, IgG1, and IgG2a antibody titers during the course of immunization was followed, …

Decreased release of histamine and sulfidoleukotrienes by human peripheral blood leukocytes after wasp venom immunotherapy is partially due to induct…

1999

Abstract Background: Recent studies provide evidence that venom immunotherapy (VIT) alters the pattern of cytokine production by inducing an allergen-specific T-cell shift in cytokine expression from T H2 (IL-4, IL-5) to T H1 (IFN-γ) cytokines and also inducing the production of IL-10. Objective: This study was carried out to analyze whether these changes in cytokine production of T cells already observed 1 week after the initiation of VIT in subjects with wasp venom allergy also influence the reactivity of effector cells, such as mast cells and basophils. Methods: All subjects included in this study had a history of severe systemic allergic reactions to wasp stings and positive skin test r…

Importance of selenium status in patients with chronic heart failure

2015

Abstract Overactivity of the immune system may be a worthwhile therapeutic target for implementing prognostic improvements. Therefore the impact of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) desensitization on survival may help in the development of novel therapies. An understanding of the pathophysiology of the trace element selenium may complement such approaches, as recent data suggest that inflammatory responses are selenium-dependent.

New determinants of olfactory habituation

2017

AbstractHabituation is a filter that optimizes the processing of information by our brain in all sensory modalities. It results in an unconscious reduced responsiveness to continuous or repetitive stimulation. In olfaction, the main question is whether habituation works the same way for any odorant or whether we habituate differently to each odorant? In particular, whether chemical, physical or perceptual cues can limit or increase habituation. To test this, the odour intensity of 32 odorants differing in physicochemical characteristics was rated by 58 participants continuously during 120s. Each odorant was delivered at a constant concentration. Results showed odorants differed significantl…

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2013

Construction of hevein (Hev b 6.02) with reduced allergenicity for immunotherapy of latex allergy by comutation of six amino acid residues on the con…

2004

Abstract Recently we have established that IgE Abs bind to conformational epitopes in the N- and C-terminal regions of the major natural rubber latex allergen, hevein (Hev b 6.02). To identify the critical amino acid residues that interact with IgE, the hevein sequence was scanned by using site-specific mutations. Twenty-nine hevein mutants were designed and produced by a baculovirus expression system in insect cells and tested by IgE inhibition-ELISA using sera from 26 latex allergic patients. Six potential IgE-interacting residues of hevein (Arg5, Lys10, Glu29, Tyr30, His35, and Gln38) were identified and characterized further in detail. Based on these six residues, two triple mutants (HΔ…

Nicotine modulation of the lateral habenula/ventral tegmental area circuit dynamics: An electrophysiological study in rats

2022

Abstract Nicotine, the addictive component of tobacco, has bivalent rewarding and aversive properties. Recently, the lateral habenula (LHb), a structure that controls ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine (DA) function, has attracted attention as it is potentially involved in the aversive properties of drugs of abuse. Hitherto, the LHb-modulation of nicotine-induced VTA neuronal activity in vivo is unknown. Using standard single-extracellular recording in anesthetized rats, we observed that intravenous administration of nicotine hydrogen tartrate (25–800 μg/kg i.v.) caused a dose-dependent increase in the basal firing rate of the LHb neurons of nicotine-naive rats. This effect underwent com…

Nitrergic and purinergic interplay in inhibitory transmission in rat gastric fundus.

2007

Summary 1  This study was undertaken to analyse the involvement of ATP in non-adrenergic non- cholinergic (NANC) relaxation and possible interplay between nitrergic and purinergic systems in rat gastric fundus. 2  Experiments were performed in vitro on strips of longitudinal muscle from rat gastric fundus, recording the mechanical activity as changes in isometric force. In addition, NO release induced by different experimental conditions was assayed. 3  Under NANC conditions in serotonin-precontracted strips, electrical field stimulation (EFS) elicited a tetrodotoxin (TTX)-sensitive relaxation accompanied by nitric oxide (NO) release. This effect was antagonized by pretreatment with the NO …