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.
Subject(s)
Animals , Mice , Anaphylaxis , Asthma , Base Sequence , Bias , Complex Mixtures , Dermatitis, Atopic , Dermatophagoides farinae , Eosinophils , Immunoglobulin E , Immunotherapy , Incidence , Interleukin-5 , Korea , Nasal Lavage Fluid , Nasal Mucosa , Pyroglyphidae , Rhinitis , Sneezing , Vaccination , Vaccines, ConjugateABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: There have been many studies concerning histologic changes and effectiveness of specific treatment in the experimentally induced sinusitis model, but there are few studies about natural course of paranasal sinusitis. This study aimed to analyze the natural course of sinusitis and the influence of stress on the natural disease course. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Natural ostia of 120 rabbits were occluded and reopened at 10 days after occlusion. Rabbits were divided into six groups according to duration from reopening to sacrifice. Each group was sacrificed at 1, 4, 8, 12, 19, 26 days after reopening of the natural ostium. Each group was divided into a control and stress subgroups. Radiologic, gross and histologic findings were analyzed. RESULTS: Percentage of rabbits showing partial or total haziness was highest at 3 days after reopening in the control subgroup and at 11 days in the stress subgroup. Percentage of the rabbits showing moderate or severe amount of pus in the sinus on gross examination was highest at 4 days in both subgroups. Degree of epithelial loss was most severe at 4 days in both subgroups. Subepithelial thickness was largest and inflammatory cell infiltrations were most severe at 8 days in both subgroups. Although there was a lack of statistical significance, stress subgroups showed more severe gross, radiologic, and histologic findings than those of control subgroups. CONCLUSION: This study shows that maxillary sinusitis is induced by natural ostium occlusion only and is improved with time without any treatment, and that stress might influence the severity of maxillary sinusitis.