TY - DATA T1 - Supplementary Material for: Low-Dose Allergen-Specific Immunotherapy Induces Tolerance in a Murine Model of Shrimp Allergy PY - 2017/10/24 AU - Leung N.Y.H. AU - Wai C.Y.Y. AU - Shu S.A. AU - Chang C.C. AU - Chu K.H. AU - Leung P.S.C. UR - https://karger.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Supplementary_Material_for_Low-Dose_Allergen-Specific_Immunotherapy_Induces_Tolerance_in_a_Murine_Model_of_Shrimp_Allergy/5531866 DO - 10.6084/m9.figshare.5531866.v1 L4 - https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/9577690 L4 - https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/9577693 KW - Desensitization KW - Dosage KW - Regulatory T cells KW - Foxp3 KW - Tropomyosin N2 - Background: The efficacy and safety of allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) are highly dose-dependent. Methods: We investigated the dosage effects of AIT and the underlying mechanisms in a murine model of shrimp hypersensitivity. BALB/c mice were sensitized with recombinant shrimp allergen rMet e 1 and challenged orally with a high dose of rMet e 1 to elicit an allergic response. These sensitized mice were then treated with a low (0.01 mg), medium (0.05 mg), or high dosage (0.1 mg) of rMet e 1 intraperitoneally before receiving a second oral challenge. The allergic responses and immunological changes in the gut were compared between animals receiving different dosages. Results: We found that all sensitized mice that received rMet e 1 immunotherapy were desensitized, regardless of the dosage, and protected at the second oral challenge. Nevertheless, the mice in the high-dosage group experienced severe systemic reactions during the treatment phase. In contrast, regulatory T (Treg) cell-associated genes were upregulated only in the low- and medium-dosage groups, and Foxp3+ cells were more abundant in the gut lymphoid tissues than in the high-dosage group. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that low-dosage immunotherapy favors the induction of local Foxp3+ Treg cells and the upregulation of regulatory cytokines. The safety advantages and long-term efficacy of low-dosage immunotherapy should be taken into consideration when developing immunotherapy dose schedules. ER -