Repeated subcutaneous administration of dermatophagoides allergen does not cause immune or non-immune glomerular injury in wistar-albino rats

Akil I.; Yuksel H.; Ayhan S.; Nese N.; Giray G.

Repeated subcutaneous administration of dermatophagoides allergen does not cause immune or non-immune glomerular injury in wistar-albino rats

Date

2004

Authors

Abstract

We aimed to investigate the risk of immune or non-immune mediated glomerular injury associated with immunotherapy with dermatophaogoides allergen. Three groups of 7 male rats aged 10 weeks were gathered. Group 1 received 1250 units of dermatophaogoides allergen injection 3 times with an interval of 2-weeks via subcutaneous route, group 2 received 2500 units of dermatophaogoides allergen injection, and the control group received isotonic saline solution equal in volume to the antigen. Kidneys were evaluated by both light and immunofluorescence microscopy. Urine was analyzed with urinalysis strips and light microscopy. Some cases demonstrated mesangial proliferation as well as an increase in mesangial matrix and tubulointerstitial inflammation. However, these changes did not differ statistically significantly between the groups (P>0.05 for mesangial proliferation, increase in mesangial matrix and tubulointerstitial inflammation). Neither hematuria nor proteinuria was detected in control or treatment groups at the beginning or at the end of the study. This study demonstrated that repeated inoculation of dermatophagoides allergen, as required for subcutaneous allergen specific immunotherapy, did not result in any non-immune or immune complex induced glomerular injury. Thus, despite the fact that dermatophagoides allergen are exogenous macromolecules, subcutaneous allergen specific immunotherapy using these purified allergens may not have any risk for glomerular injury.