ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Recently, the incidence of allergic diseases such as asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis is on the increase with the society getting more and more industrialized. Although many therapeutic options for prevention and treatment of the allergic diseases have been developed, true allergen desensitization remains a challenging goal. The classic immunotherapy using protein-based allergen has limited efficacy, is inconvenient, and has a risk of anaphylaxis. Recent reports revealed that immunostimulatory DNA sequences (ISS-ODN, CpG motif) have been shown to act as a strong Th1 response-inducing adjuvants and that DNA-based vaccination might be an effective therapeutic option for treatment of allergic diseases. In this study, we investigated whether ISS-ODN/Dermatophagoides farinae (Der f) conjugate has anti-allergic effects in the mouse model of allergic rhinitis, which is sensitive to house dust mites. Der f is the most common allergen inducing allergic rhinitis in Korea. MATERIALS AND METHOD: C57BL/6 mice were systemically and locally sensitized with crude extracts of Der f. After the injection of ISS-ODN/Der f conjugate and the mutant-ODN/Der f conjugate, several parameters of allergic response were evaluated. RESULTS: Scratching and sneezing symptoms, and eosinophilic infiltration into nasal mucosa were suppressed by the injection of ISS-ODN/Der f conjugate. IL-5 level in nasal lavage fluid (NLF) was decreased and IFN gamma level was increased. Der f-specific IgE was decreased, however, as it was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The results showed that ISS-ODN/Der f conjugate has anti-allergic effects and biased Th1 reaction in the allergic rhinitis model of Der f allergen.