Intranasal treatment with ovalbumin but not the major T cell epitope ovalbumin 323-339 generates interleukin-10 secreting T cells and results in the induction of allergen systemic tolerance.

Background: Nasal administration of major peptide T cell epitopes gives contradictory data on the induction of peripheral tolerance.

Objective: To compare the prophylactic effect of intranasal treatment (INT) on the development of an allergic response, using either ovalbumin (OVA) or its major T cell epitope OVA 323-339 (OVAp).

Methods: BALB/c mice were treated intranasally with OVA or OVAp and subsequently immunized s.