T-cell responses during allergen-specific immunotherapy

Purpose of review Allergen-specific immunotherapy is the only specific, dose-dependent and time-dependent and disease-modifying strategy for the treatment of allergy associated with clinical improvement and biological tolerance which may persist years after discontinuation. Recent findings Successful immunotherapy in respiratory allergy is associated with the immunodeviation of Th2 response to a more protective allergen-specific Th1 cells and with the induction of interleukin-10 (IL-10)/transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta-producing T regulatory cells in blood and inflamed airways. Subcutaneous treatment and sublingual treatments induce similar alterations which are dose-dependent and time-dependent. Summary This study provides an update on the immunological T-cell responses during subcutanous immunotherapy and sublingual immunotherapy, giving a unifying view of the redirecting mechanisms and regulating mechanisms elicited by these treatments.