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Abstract
Summary and Conclusion
of the Microbiology and Immunology department FOMSCU, on thirty six adult patients suffering from PAR and sensitive to HD and HDM. Patients were randomly divided into three equal groups (each group was consisted of twelve patients). Group A was vaccinated by BCG of a concentration of 3X. Group B was vaccinated by BCG vaccination of a concentration of 0.5X. Group C was sham vaccinated by saline. Then booster dose of BCG of a concentration 1/10 X was administered to all groups at 2 months, 4 months and 6 months from the first day of administration. Before administration of BCG vaccine and saline and also after six months of its administration; Symptoms and signs scores, serum level of total IgE, IL-4, IL-12 and skin test reactivity to HD and HDM were done to assess the effect of different concentrations of BCG vaccine on these parameters.
We found that:
The effect of BCG vaccine of a concentrations (3X ) had induced a significant decrease of serum level of total IgE, IL-4 and a significant increase of serum level of IL-12 after six months of its administration. Also, BCG vaccination of a concentration 0.5X had induced a significant decrease of serum level of total IgE, a borderline significant decrease of serum IL-4 and a significant increase of serum level of IL-12 after six months of its administration. In addition, both concentrations of BCG vaccination (3X and 0.5X) induced a significant improvement of the symptoms and signs score in both patient groups. For skin test reactivity to HD and HDM, BCG vaccine of both concentrations (3X and 0.5X) induced a significant decrease of the surface area diameters of both erythema and induration of the previously mentioned allergens. But, it was so remarkable that the effect of BCG vaccination of the concentration (3X) was significantly much more effective than (0.5X) on all the previously measured parameters.
For patients who were sham vaccinated with saline and received the least concentration of BCG vaccine (1/10X)three times (0.3X), there was a significant decrease in the serum level of total IgE, IL-4 and significant increase of serum IL-12 after their boosting with BCG vaccination. Also, for skin test reactivity there was a significant decrease of the diameters of surface area of both erythema and induration for the Histamine, HD and HDM. Finally, it was found that there was a significant improvement of the symptoms and signs score in those patients (group C).
In the M.Sc. Thesis (El-Maraghy, 2003), BCG vaccination in PAR patients after 1 month of its administration had induced a significant reduction of IgE, surge of IFN-gamma, reduction of STE but no significant effect on EC and it was concluded that BCG with an ordinary dose (1X) can do switching of the immune response from Th2 to Th1 and this effect was persistent for three months. from this point, the idea of the MD was proposed, to know if other concentrations of BCG vaccination can induce the same action and if so, for how long the effect of BCG vaccination will be sustained.
At the end, large scales of further studies are still needed to determine if there are other concentrations of BCG vaccination (e.g. 0.1 X) that would induce good response. Also, to determine the duration for which the effect of BCG vaccination would be sustained. As in the present study, the effect was persistent for 6 months, so could it be persistent for more than this?
It is a sweet irony that a cousin of Mycobacterium tuberculosis; the causative agent of the most dreadful infection of the 19th century may be the silver bullet that has the potential to cure the most prevalent diseases in the 21st century (THE ALLERGIC DISEASES).