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Abstract
The importance of interleukin-13 (IL-13) in asthma is supported by its over-expression in asthmatic individuals. Classic immunotherapy has been limited in its usefulness as a therapeutic intervention primarily by the long duration required for successful implementation. Rush immunotherapy offers an attractive alternative because of its more immediate efficacy.
The purpose of the current study was to investigate the role of IL-13 in the pathogenesis of asthma, by comparing its levels in serum and sputum obtained from asthmatics and healthy controls. We further compared the effect of Rush immunotherapy and conventional classic immunotherapy on both asthma control and IL-13 levels after 2 months immunotherapy among the studied asthmatic patients.
This study included 60 asthmatic patients, with positive skin prick test reactions only to house dust mite and/or grass pollen allergens received subcutaneous immunotherapy; 30 patients received Rush immunotherapy, and 30 received classic immunotherapy. We assessed the level of asthma control, forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), as well as levels of IL-13 in both serum and induced sputum at baseline and after 7 days and 2 months of immunotherapy. In addition, serum and sputum levels of IL-13 were also measured in 30 healthy controls for comparison.
We observed from the results that:
Both asthmatic groups showed highly significant elevations in serum and sputum IL-13 levels compared to controls. After 2 months, asthma control, increase in FEV1 values, and reduction of IL-13 levels in serum and sputum were significantly achieved only after Rush immunotherapy, whereas no significant changes were detected after conventional classic immunotherapy. Side effects were commoner with Rush immunotherapy, but they were mild and easily treated.