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World J Methodol. Mar 26, 2014; 4(1): 26-45
Published online Mar 26, 2014. doi: 10.5662/wjm.v4.i1.26
Molecular biomarkers for grass pollen immunotherapy
Florin-Dan Popescu
Florin-Dan Popescu, Department of Allergology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Nicolae Malaxa” Clinical Hospital, Department of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, 022441 Bucharest, Romania
Author contributions: Popescu FD solely contributed to the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Florin-Dan Popescu, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Allergology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Nicolae Malaxa” Clinical Hospital, Department of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, 022441 Bucharest, Sector 2, Romania. florindanpopescu@ymail.com
Telephone: + 40-21-2555405 Fax: + 40-21-2555275
Received: November 23, 2013
Revised: January 5, 2014
Accepted: February 16, 2014
Published online: March 26, 2014
Processing time: 123 Days and 6.8 Hours
Abstract

Grass pollen allergy represents a significant cause of allergic morbidity worldwide. Component-resolved diagnosis biomarkers are increasingly used in allergy practice in order to evaluate the sensitization to grass pollen allergens, allowing the clinician to confirm genuine sensitization to the corresponding allergen plant sources and supporting an accurate prescription of allergy immunotherapy (AIT), an important approach in many regions of the world with great plant biodiversity and/or where pollen seasons may overlap. The search for candidate predictive biomarkers for grass pollen immunotherapy (tolerogenic dendritic cells and regulatory T cells biomarkers, serum blocking antibodies biomarkers, especially functional ones, immune activation and immune tolerance soluble biomarkers and apoptosis biomarkers) opens new opportunities for the early detection of clinical responders for AIT, for the follow-up of these patients and for the development of new allergy vaccines.

Keywords: Biomarkers; Molecular allergy; Grass pollen immunotherapy

Core tip: A concomitant approach of the component-resolved diagnosis biomarkers used to guide prescription of grass pollen immunotherapy, particularly important in regions of the world where grass pollen seasons temporal overlap with other types of pollen, together with candidate predictive biomarkers of clinical efficacy for this type of immunotherapy, classified as tolerogenic dendritic cells and regulatory T cells biomarkers, antibodies biomarkers, especially functional ones, immune activation and immune tolerance soluble biomarkers and apoptosis biomarkers, represents a methodological original presentation with an important educational role in the field molecular allergy considered imperative for clinical practice.