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Supplementary Material for: Differential T-Helper Cell Polarization after Allergen-Specific Stimulation of Autologous Dendritic Cells in Polysensitized Allergic Patients
<p><b><i>Background:</i></b> Dendritic cells (DCs) play an important
role in the induction and regulation of adaptive immune responses by
polarizing T-helper (Th) cells. In allergic disease this response is
dominated by Th2 cells. It is still unclear whether the activation of Th
cells by DCs in atopic individuals is allergen specific. <b><i>Methods:</i></b>
Monocyte-derived DCs (MoDCs) obtained from polysensitized patients were
stimulated with purified Bet v 1, Phl p 5 and Act d 10, and the surface
marker expression was analysed. Proliferation and cytokine profiles of
autologous naïve CD4+ T cells co-cultured with allergen-pulsed MoDCs
were assessed. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The addition of either Bet v 1 or
Phl p 5 did not further increase the expression of surface markers from
matured MoDCs in all study groups. In co-cultures, autologous naïve CD4+
T cells proliferated when DCs obtained from individuals allergic to
birch and grass pollen were stimulated with Bet v 1 and Phl p 5,
respectively. In the co-culture supernatants, significantly increased
levels of IL-5 and IL-13 were detected. This effect correlated with the
sensitization background and was absent when applying an unspecific
allergen, Act d 10. The levels of IL-10 in supernatants of MoDCs and the
levels of IL-10 and IFN-γ in supernatants of T cells remained unchanged
upon stimulation with allergens. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> In this
study we observed that allergen-specific stimulation of MoDCs induces
T-cell proliferation and upregulation of Th2-type cytokines.
Interestingly, this Th2 polarization was only observed in cells
stimulated with the allergen to which the patients were sensitized.</p