Under the skin or under the tongue: differences and similarities in mechanisms of sublingual and subcutaneous immunotherapy

• Published in: Immunotherapy Vol. 5; no. 11; pp. 1151 - 1158
• Main Authors: Ozdemir, Cevdet, Kucuksezer, Umut C, Akdis, Mübeccel, Akdis, Cezmi A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Future Medicine Ltd 01.11.2013
• Subjects: Administration, Sublingual; allergen-specific immunotherapy; Allergens - immunology; Allergens - therapeutic use; Allergies; Animals; Asthma; Biomarkers; Disease; Gene expression; Health aspects; Humans; Hypersensitivity - immunology; Hypersensitivity - therapy; IL-10; Immune system; Immunology; Immunotherapy; Infusions, Subcutaneous; Pathogenesis; Patients; Physiological aspects; regulatory T cells; subcutaneous immunotherapy; sublingual immunotherapy; Sublingual Immunotherapy - methods; T cells; TGF; tolerance induction; Transforming growth factors; Vaccines; Venom; Switzerland; Turkey
• ISSN: 1750-743X; 1750-7448
• DOI: 10.2217/imt.13.117

In allergic disorders, such as asthma, hayfever, atopic dermatitis, urticaria, food and venom allergy, a dysregulation of immune reactivity to external allergens is responsible for the development of clinical symptoms. Reciprocal and counterbalancing mutual interactions between dendritic cells, Th-cell subsets (e.g., Th1, Th2, Th9, Th17 and Th22) and Treg subsets, in addition to B-cell subsets, NK cells, and subsets of cells of innate lymphoid cell, open new perspectives for immune intervention in many diseases related to immune-regulatory mechanisms in their pathogenesis [8]. Today, both routes (SCIT and SLIT), with varying protocols of allergen-SIT, are being applied selectively in allergic rhinitis and asthma patient groups, both in adult populations and children, in addition to bee venom injection immunotherapy [11,12].