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The involvement of B cells in allergen tolerance induction remains largely unexplored. This study investigates the role of B cells in this process, by comparing B‐cell responses in allergic patients before and during allergen immunotherapy (AIT) and naturally exposed healthy beekeepers before and during the beekeeping season.

Circulating B cells were characterized by flow cytometry. Phospholipase A2 (PLA)‐specific B cells were identified using dual‐color staining with fluorescently labeled PLA. Expression of regulatory B‐cell‐associated surface markers, interleukin‐10, chemokine receptors, and immunoglobulin heavy‐chain isotypes, was measured. Specific and total IgG1, IgG4, IgA, and IgE from plasma as well as culture supernatants of PLA‐specific cells were measured by ELISA.

Strikingly, similar responses were observed in allergic patients and beekeepers after venom …