Immunological markers in allergic rhinitis patients treated with date palm immunotherapy

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is regulated by the local production and release of several cytokines. Allergen specific immunotherapy (IT) has been widely used for many years as a specific treatment of allergic diseases. This study aimed to investigate the changes in clinical and immunological markers before and after Phoenix dactylifera IT in AR patients. Total symptom score and levels of total immunoglobulin E (IgE), albumin, interferon (IFN)-gamma, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-10, IL-4, and IL-13 were measured in the serum and nasal samples of thirty non-atopic healthy controls and thirty patients with allergic rhinitis before and after 15 months of IT. We found significantly higher concentrations of serum TNF-alpha and nasal TNF-alpha and IL-13, and significantly lower concentration of nasal IL-10, in allergic patients than in non-allergic. Moreover, serum and nasal IL-10 increased significantly after IT. However, there was neither a significant reduction in total IgE nor a significant increase in IFN-gamma at the end of IT. Our data show a clinical improvement associated with a decline in some inflammation parameters after IT. Moreover, date palm IT induced a significant increase in serum and nasal IL-10 levels.