Allergen-induced cytokine and chemokine production
At baseline and one year post ILIT, peripheral blood mononuclear cells were harvested and stimulated with birch and grass allergen in vitro to measure cytokine and chemokine secretion (see Tables S2 and S3 in the Supplementary information). Both birch and grass allergens induced an increase in IL-5 production after birch and placebo ILIT (p<0.05, Fig. 5a and b, while IL-5 secretion did not change in the other treatment groups. Increased birch allergen induced IL-10 secretion was also observed after birch and placebo ILIT and 5-grass and placebo ILIT, whereas no significant change occurred in the birch and 5-grass group (Fig. 5c). ILIT did not affect grass-allergen IL-10 production (Fig. 5d). The spontaneous production of the CCL17 chemokine decreased after 5-grass and placebo ILIT and birch and 5-grass ILIT, but not after birch and placebo ILIT (p<0.05 Fig. 5e).