Greg Plunkett, Henry Legere, Peter Hurwitz and James Strader
Background: Management of allergic rhinitis includes avoiding the exposure of allergens combined with drug therapy. For the patients that do not have substantial relief in allergic rhinitis symptoms or incur side effects, subcutaneous and sublingual immunotherapy can be a second line of treatment.
Objective: This study evaluated a topical route of immunotherapy administration of allergen through the skin which may be beneficial in treating allergic rhinitis. IgE, IgG and lymph node T cell responses in mice were studied using ovalbumin mixed with topical transdermal cream formulations containing a potential immune modulator applied
to the skin.
Methods: BALB/c mice were immunized with Ovalbumin (OVA) mixed with alum to induce an IgE response. After 14 days ovalbumin mixes with topical creams containing Toll-like receptor agonists were applied to the skin and IgE and IgG2a and were measured up to day 71. Results were compared with intraperitoneal injection controls. T-cell
biomarkers from draining lymph nodes and spleens were measured in mice treated with OVA creams after 3 days of treatment.
Results: Mice developed sIgE to ovalbumin after 14 days and application of cream formulations showed a dose dependent reduction in IgE compared to controls at 42 and 70 days. sIgG2 showed an increase in some cream formulation treated mice compared to intraperitoneal injection and biomarkers such as CD69 indicated that the
antigen reached draining lymph nodes.
Conclusions: Results from this mouse study demonstrated that topical administration of allergens mixed in creams can have an immune response and may provide an alternative route for immunotherapy.