Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology 1735-1502 10 2 2011 06 15 101 110 EN Shokrollah Farrokhi Department of Immunology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Department of Immunology and Allergy, The Persian Gulf Tropical and Infectious Diseases Research Center, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran AND Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Research Center, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran Tahereh Mousavi Department of Immunology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Microbial Resistance Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Saba Arshi Department of Immunology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Abdolreza Varasteh Immunobiochemistry Lab, Immunology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran Nima Rezaei Molecular Immunology Research Center, and Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Pediatrics Center of Excellence, Children’s Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Alireza Salekmoghadam Department of Immunology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2015 10 01 Allergic Rhinitis (AR) is one of the most common chronic diseases in the developed countries. This study was performed to investigate the effect of CpG-ODN in alteration of T-helper (Th)1/Th2 balance of patients with AR treated with intranasal corticosteroids (INCs) and antihistamines. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 20 patients with AR were isolated before and after 45 days therapy. Cytokine production (IL-4, IL-10, IL-13, IFN-γ) and specific Ch.a IgE in response to CpG co- administration  of  natural  chenopodium  album  (CpG/Ch.a)  or  recombinant  Ch.a  (CpG/rCh.a) allergen were investigated in supernatants.of cultured PBMCs using ELISA Intracellular IL-10 was also assessed in CD4+ cells using flow cytometry. Significant increase in production of IFN-γ and IL-10 and decrease in production of IL-4 were found in supernatants of cultured PBMCs activated with CPG/ch.a and CPG/rch.a. of both CpG/Ch.a and CpG/rCh.a compared to allergens alone, before and after therapy. After therapy, IFN-γ production with CpG/Ch.a was significantly increased in comparison with before (237 vs. 44 pg/ml, p=0.001). IFN-γ and IL-10 production with CpG/rCh.a was significantly increased after therapy compared to before (407.6 vs. 109 pg/ml, p=0.01 for IFN-γ; 171.7 vs. 52.6 pg/ml, p=0.008  for  IL-10),  whilst  IL-4  was  significantly decreased (2.1  vs.  5.8  pg/ml,  p=0.02). Intracellular IL-10 expression was also significantly increased in response to either CpG/Ch.a or CpG/rCh.a that showed intracellular assay could be more sensitive than ELISA. Also, treatment with intranasal corticosteroids and antihistamines could enhance this CpG effect, in vitro. https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/view/298 https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/download/298/298