Subcutaneous immunotherapy for bee venom allergy induces epitope spreading and immunophenotypic changes in allergen-specific memory B cells

Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is the only disease-modifying treatment for allergic disorders. We have recently discovered that allergen-specific memory B-cells (Bmem) are phenotypically altered after 4 months sublingual AIT for ryegrass pollen allergy. Whether these effects are shared with subcutaneous AIT (SCIT) and affect the epitope-specificity of Bmem remain unknown.