Efficacy of subcutaneous immunotherapy in a mouse model of Humulus pollen-induced allergic asthma

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effect of subcutaneous injection of high-dose of Humulus pollen allergen on a mouse model of allergic asthma. Method: Humulus pollen-sensitized mice received either regular subcutaneous injections of Humulus pollen allergen extract or control treatment were sacrificed. Airway responsiveness, pulmonary inflammatory cell infiltration, serum cytokine secretion and serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) and G2a (IgG2a) levels were measured. Result: Our results showed that subcutaneous immunotherapy with high-dose of Humulus pollen allergen could obviously relieve the symptoms and improve the pulmonary function in mice with allergic asthma. It also elevated serum IgE and IgG level compared with model group. The Humulus pollen allergens could be identified in serum and the molecular weight of serum proteins that had the maximum binding to allergen were ~25 kDa and ~38 kDa in 7 cases (70%) and 6 cases (60%), respectively. Conclusion: Subcutaneous immunotherapy (high-dose) could effectively alleviate airway hyperresponsiveness and reduce airway inflammatory infiltration in allergic asthmatic mice