Gene expression changes in early phase of venom immunotherapy

Towards a better understanding of molecular processes underlying the acquisition of immune-tolerance during VIT (venom immunotherapy), we analysed genome-wide gene expression profiles of patients with severe hymenoptera venom allergy (HVA), who were analyzed prior to VIT and 12 months after the beginning of a VIT. The study also includes individuals withhout signs of HVA (as revealed by skin tests); beekepers and HVA patients sampled between 1st and 2nd month of VIT. Study includes 11 HVA patients sampled prior VIT; 12 HVA patients sampled after 12months of VIT; 12 patients sampled between 1st and 2nd month of VIT; 12 individuals with negative skin tests for HVA; 12 beekepers. For computation, imputation and testing of deconvolution-based cell-specific differential expression we used blood counts available for 24 samples. Blood used for measurements of blood counts has been sampled in parallel to blood sample for microarray experiment. The after1MonthVIT patients are unrelated to the priorVIT/after12monthsVIT paired patients.