Sublingual immunotherapy alters salivary IgA and systemic immune mediators in timothy allergic children.

Background: Immunomodulatory effects of sublingual immunotherapy on systemic and mucosal mediators in allergic children are largely unexplored. The aim of this study was to investigate allergy-related cytokine and chemokine levels, as well as IgA-responses upon a 3-year treatment with timothy grass pollen sublingual immunotherapy in children with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis.

Methods: From children included in the GRAZAX Asthma Prevention study, blood and saliva samples were analyzed at inclusion, after 3 years of treatment, and 2 years after treatment ending.