Double allergy protection
A new method of treating allergies to cats has eased the symptoms of the disease
Tatiana Matveeva, "Scientific Russia"
Scientists from the USA have improved immunotherapy for the treatment of allergies to cats by adding an inhibitor of one of the cytokines – thymus stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) to the "allergy vaccination". The combined method made it possible to alleviate allergy symptoms by 36% after treatment, according to the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The results of the work are published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (Corren et al., Effects of combination treatment with tezepelumab and allergen immunotherapy on nasal responses to allergen: a randomized controlled trial).
Allergen-specific immunotherapy is a long–term treatment method that helps alleviate allergy symptoms in people with conditions such as allergic rhinitis or allergic asthma by reducing sensitivity to allergens. Allergic rhinitis causes inflammation of the nasal membranes. Its symptoms include sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, watery eyes, problems with the sense of smell and itching in the nose, mouth or eyes. In order for therapy to help alleviate these symptoms, the patient needs to be vaccinated against allergies for at least three years. But this treatment may not be suitable for everyone.
NIH scientists have added the introduction of monoclonal antibodies called tezepelumab to allergy vaccinations. Tezepelumab blocks the stromal lymphopoietin of the thymus. Cells that cover organs such as the skin and intestines, or line the inside of the nose and lungs, rapidly secrete TSLP in response to potential danger signals. In allergic diseases, protein helps initiate an overactive immune response to harmless substances, such as cat dandruff, provoking inflammation of the respiratory tract, which leads to symptoms of allergic rhinitis.
121 adults aged 18 to 65 took part in testing the new allergy treatment method in nine medical centers in eight US cities. The subjects were randomly divided into several groups. One received tezepelumab plus allergy shots subcutaneously, the second – tezepelumab plus placebo injections, the third – placebo plus allergy injections, the fourth – double placebo. Until the end of the study, none of the subjects knew who received which scheme. The treatment period lasted 48 weeks, and the research team continued to follow the participants for a year after the end of treatment.
To test how well each scheme worked, participants used a nasal spray with cat allergen extract – six times during the two-year study period. The research team recorded the degree of allergy symptoms five, 15, 30 and 60 minutes after a dose of nasal spray and hourly for five hours after that. In addition, blood and nasal cell samples were taken from the participants.
The researchers found that the severity of the most severe symptoms decreased by 36% at the end of treatment in the group that received tezepelumab plus allergy injections, compared with the group that received only allergy injections, and 24% lower after a year. These results show that adding a cytokine inhibitor to allergy shots can reduce the symptoms of allergic rhinitis for a long period after just one year of treatment.
Analysis of blood samples and nasal cells showed that the combined treatment caused changes in the activity of the gene network, which reduced the activation of allergy-related immune cells on the inner lining of the nose, helping to suppress allergic symptoms. The approach tested in this study is expected to work similarly for other allergens.
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