Progress of biomarkers for the efficacy of allergen immunotherapy / 国际儿科学杂志

Allergen immunotherapy（AIT）is currently the etiological treatment for respiratory allergic diseases，which can change the natural course of the disease.However，due to the complexity of patients' autoimmune status，allergy triggers and their complicated relationship with AIT vaccines，there are still about 40% of allergic rhinitis and 10%-20% of asthma patients who respond nonoptimally or even don't show any response to AIT. Thus，searching biomarkers that can evaluate and predict the efficacy of AIT and optimize the AIT strategy has been a major focus and challenge in allergy field.Currently，several serologic biomarkers have been found to be associated with AIT efficacy in vitro，but their value as predictive biomarkers of AIT efficacy needs to be further verified. This article reviews the research progress of serologic candidate biomarkers for AIT efficacy.

Progress in the application of AIT in allergic airway diseases / 中国临床药理学与治疗学

Allergen specific immunotherapy (AIT) is to identify the patient's allergen, give the patient repeated exposure to the allergen extract, and gradually increase the concentration and dose until the target maintenance dose is reached, so that the patient can develop tolerance to the allergen, which is the only treatment that can regulate the pathogenesis of allergic diseases and change its natural course. In recent years, domestic and foreign scholars have made great progress in the clinical practice and research field of AIT. This article reviewed the relevant progress of the mechanism, efficacy and drug administration of AIT.

The progress of combined therapy of omalizumab and allergen immunotherapy in children with moderate to severe allergic asthma / 国际儿科学杂志

Allergen immunotherapy(AIT)is considered the treatment capable of modifying the natural history of allergic respiratory disorders.The adverse reactions associated with AIT limit its clinical use in moderate to severe allergic asthma.Omalizumab is currently approved for the treatment of allergic asthma, chronic spontaneous urticaria, allergic rhinitis and other allergic diseases.A few trials have demonstrated the clinical efficacy of AIT and omalizumab combination therapy in children with moderate to severe allergic asthma.This review summarizes the research progress, mechanisma and application of omalizumab combined with AIT in children with moderate to severe allergic asthma.

Interpretation of managing food allergy: Global Allergy and Asthma European Network guideline (2022) / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Food allergy is one of the most common chronic non-infectious diseases in many countries and regions, which affects 2%-4% of children and adults.Its prevalence is on the rise worldwide.In 2022, the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA 2LEN) proposed recommendations on managing food allergy to people at different age groups.This review aims to interpret the recommendations, clinical practice, precautions, evidence gaps and research priorities of food allergy management based on the GA 2LEN guideline 2022, thus providing reference for clinical management of food allergy.

Progress on mechanisms and clinical application of allergen immunotherapy / 国际儿科学杂志

Allergen immunotherapy(AIT)is an effective treatment for allergic diseases that have been used for more than a century.At present, AIT is administered in two main ways: subcutaneous immunotherapy(SCIT)and sublingual immunotherapy(SLIT), which aims to induce immune tolerance to allergens and provide long-term clinical benefit to patients.The effectiveness of AIT has been confirmed and the research on its mechanism has been deepened, and AIT combined with biological agents has been widely used in clinical practice.

Application of Omalizumab combined with allergen immunotherapy in the treatment of allergic asthma in children / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective:To analyze the efficacy and safety of Omalizumab (OMA) combined with allergen immunotherapy (AIT) on children with allergic asthma.Methods:Clinical data of 43 children with allergic asthma from the Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University between August 2018 and October 2022, who were managed by OMA combined with double mite subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) were retrospectively analyzed, including 30 males and 13 females with the age of 5-15 years.Twenty children with allergic asthma who were managed by the monotherapy for SCIT during the same period, including 16 males and 4 females with the age of 4-13 years were included in the control group(group1: conventional immunotherapy; group2: cluster immunotherapy). Among the 43 cases managed by OMA combined with SCIT, 20 were treated with OMA, followed by AIT (OMA-AIT group), and 23 were treated with AIT, followed by OMA (AIT-OMA group). Notably, 6 cases in AIT-OMA group who were additionally given OMA due to the difficulty in increasing doses were subgrouped in AO1 group, and 17 who were additionally given OMA due to poor control of asthma or comorbidities during the course of AIT and frequent adverse events were subgrouped in AO2 group.The number of asthma exacerbations within 1 year and during the combination therapy, the Childhood Asthma Control Test/Asthma Control Test (C-ACT/ACT) findings, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for grading rhinitis, inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) dosage converted to budesonide equivalent, the Total Medication Score (TMS), comorbidities, lung function [percent-predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 second(FEV 1% pred), percent-predicted peak expiratory flow(PEF%pred), percent-predicted maximal mild-expiratory flow(MMEF%pred)], exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), completion of the initial SCIT and adverse effects [local adverse reactions (LRs) and systemic adverse reactions (SRs)] were analyzed for assessing the efficacy and safety of OMA combined with AIT on children with allergic asthma.The t-test of two independent samples was used for comparison of measurement data that followed normal distribution.Wilcoxon′s test was used for non-normally distributed between-group comparisons.The χ2 test was used for the between-group comparison of counting data. Results:(1)Baseline comparison showed that the male ratio (17/20 cases vs.13/23 cases) and the proportion of moderate-to-severe persistent asthma (18/20 cases vs.18/23 cases) in the OMA-AIT group were significantly higher than those of the AIT-OMA group (all P<0.05). (2)Efficacy: ①In OMA-AIT group, all children reached the AIT maintenance treatment stage successfully after combination therapy.At the maintenance treatment stage, the C-ACT/ACT, VAS and TMS scores(26.0±1.25 vs.24.55±2.28, 1.50±1.24 vs.2.55±1.70, 3.60±1.47 vs.5.45±1.19)were significantly improved from baseline(all P<0.05). There were no significant differences in lung function indexes FEV 1%pred, PEF%pred, and MMEF%pred ( P>0.05), and FeNO level did not change significantly than baseline.After the combination treatment, ICS dosage significantly decreased from 240.00 (160.00, 380.00) μg/d at baseline to 140.00 (80.00, 300.00) μg/d ( P<0.05). Comorbidities, including allergic rhinitis, food allergy, atopic dermatitis and angioedema were improved.Five cases (25.00%) had once asthma exacerbation during the treatment.The duration of maintenance dose of conventional (22.70±7.10 vs.15.20±1.32) and cluster immunotherapy (13.00±4.97 vs.7.30±1.06) were longer than those of the corresponding control group(all P<0.05). ②AIT-OMA group: In AO1 group, the C-ACT/ACT score were improved from baseline( P<0.05), and VAS score, TMS score decreased from 3.00(1.75, 3.00), (4.67±1.97) points at baseline to 1.00(0, 1.00), (2.83±1.60) points by the maintenance dose in AO1 group (all P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the FEV 1%pred, PEF%pred, MMEF%pred and FeNO compared with baseline in AO1 group.ICS dosage in AO1 group significantly decreased from (180.00±78.99) μg/d at baseline to (88.88±26.23) μg/d ( P<0.05). In AO2 group, the C-ACT/ACT, VAS and TMS scores at the completion of OMA treatment[26.53±0.94 vs.25.06±2.05, 1.00 (0, 2.00) vs.2.00(2.00, 3.50), 3.41±0.94 vs.5.53±1.23]were significantly improved from baseline (all P<0.05). PEF%pred[(106.47±22.37)% vs.(94.47±26.39)%] significantly increased than baseline ( P<0.05), and the remaining lung function indexes and FeNO were not significantly improved.ICS dosage significantly decreased from 240.00(160.00, 400.00) μg/d at baseline to 80.00 (20.00, 160.00) μg/d ( P<0.05). During the combination treatment, 1 case (5.88%) had once asthma exacerbation, and all 8 cases with food allergy or atopic dermatitis or conjunctivitis had improved comorbidities.(3)Safety: adverse events during OMA injection were not reported.①In OMA-AIT group, a total of 165 OMA injections were performed in the initial treatment stage of the conventional immunotherapy group, with 13 (7.88%) reported LRs and 2 (1.21%) grade-1 SRs.A total of 143 OMA injections were performed in the initial treatment stage of the cluster immunotherapy group, with 19(13.29%) reported LRs and none of SRs.②In AIT-OMA group, there were 6 cases of adverse events in the initial treatment stage of AIT who were successfully reached the maintenance treatment stage after the addition of OMA in AO1 group.In AO2 group, children who were additionally given OMA due to adverse events in the maintenance treatment phase did not report adverse events during the combination therapy. Conclusions:OMA combined with AIT not only expands the scope of AIT, improves allergic and asthma symptoms in children, reduces the use of drugs, but also enhance the safety of AIT and compliance, reduces adverse events during AIT treatment, and even shortens the time of initial treatment.

Value of allergen nasal provocation test in assessment of the efficacy of house dust mites specific immunotherapy / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the value of nasal provocation test（NPT） in evaluating the efficacy of allergen immunotherapy（AIT） in patients with dust mite induced allergic rhinitis（AR）. Methods:A total of 83 patients with dust mite induced AR with/without asthma were included. Symptom score（SS）, daily medication score（DMS）, combined symptom and medication score（CSMS）, rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire（RQLQ）, NPT and skin prick test（SPT） were assessed before and after 1 year AIT. Results:There were statistical differences in SS（P<0.000 1）, DMS（P<0.000 1）, CSMS（P<0.000 1）, and RQLQ（P<0.000 1） after 1 year of AIT compared with pre-treatment. The effective rate of CSMS was 73.49%, and the effective rate of NPT was 42.17%. CSMS was consistent with NPT in efficacy assessment（Kappa=0.437, P<0.001）; while in 54 patients with pre-treatment NPT concentrations other than the original concentration, CMSM and NPT showed better consistence（Kappa=0.895, P<0.001）. Among the 48 patients with ineffective NPT assessment in the first year, 25 patients completed the second-year follow-up, and 12 patients（48.00%） showed effective in NPT. However, 10 out of 12 patients（83.33%） with NPT concentration other than original solution pre-treatment showed effective NPT at the second year. Conclusion:NPT can be used as one of the indicators for efficacy evaluation for dust mite induced AR patients, especially for patients with positive NPT induced at lower concentrations before treatment.

Progress in allergen immunotherapy in children with allergic diseases / 国际儿科学杂志

The increasing incidence of allergic diseases in children has become a global public health problem, which not only endangers physical health, but also imposes a heavy economic burden on society and families.Allergen immunotherapy is a cause-specific treatment therapy for allergic diseases in children, which can change the natural course of allergic diseases and works by inducing the body to establish immune tolerance to allergens.Allergen immunotherapy can not only reduce the clinical symptoms and medication use of children, but also prevent allergic reactions to new allergens, and has good efficacy and safety.This paper reviews the research progress of allergen immunotherapy in children with allergic diseases, especially respiratory allergic diseases, in order to provide more treatment options and new ideas for clinical practice.

Posicionamento da Associação Brasileira de Alergia e Imunologia sobre o manejo da imunoterapia específica com alérgenos (ITA) em pacientes vacinados contra COVID­19 / Position statement of the Brazilian Association of Allergy and Immunology on the management of allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) in patients vaccinated against COVID­19

A pandemia de COVID-19 representa um grande desafio para todas as especialidades médicas. A imunoterapia com alérgenos (ITA) é considerada o único procedimento terapêutico capaz de modificar a história natural das doenças alérgicas, e caracteriza o estado da arte na área de Alergia e Imunologia. Esta estratégia terapêutica de imunomodulação é capaz de promover a remissão e controle das doenças alérgicas por períodos prolongados, mesmo após o seu término. Existem poucos dados em relação ao emprego da ITA em pacientes vacinados contra COVID-19, e até o momento não há um posicionamento oficial das sociedades internacionais da área de Alergia e Imunologia Clínica. Este documento tem como objetivo estabelecer recomendações práticas para o manejo da ITA em pacientes que receberam a vacina contra COVID-19. Os fenômenos imunológicos envolvidos na imunoprofilaxia vacinal e no mecanismo de ação da ITA foram comparados, proporcionando o estabelecimento de recomendações precisas.

The COVID-19 pandemic represents a serious challenge for all medical specialties. Allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) is considered the only therapeutic procedure capable of modifying the natural history of allergic diseases and characterizes the state of the art in the field of allergy and immunology. This therapeutic strategy of immunomodulation is able to promote remission and control of allergic diseases for prolonged periods, even after cessation. There are few data regarding use of AIT in patients vaccinated against COVID-19 and, to date, there is no official position statement published by international allergy and clinical immunology societies. This document aims to establish practical recommendations for the management of AIT in patients who have received the COVID-19 vaccine. The immunological mechanisms involved in immunoprophylaxis with vaccines and the mechanism of action of AIT have been compared to provide a solid basis for establishing precise recommendations.

Clinical Efficacy of Allergen-Specific Immunotherapy from Patient and Physician Perspectives

PURPOSE: Allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) is the only curative treatment for allergic diseases, but a few allergic patients receive AIT. In this multicenter cross-sectional study, we aimed to explore patient and physician perspectives on AIT through a questionnaire survey. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Allergic patients who received subcutaneous immunotherapy for at least 1 year were asked to answer a questionnaire developed by an expert panel of allergen and immunotherapy workgroup in Korea. RESULTS: A total of 267 patients (adults, 60.3%) with allergic rhinitis (91.4%), asthma (42.7%), or atopic dermatitis (20.2%) from referred hospitals completed the survey. Among patients and physicians, respectively, the overall rates of satisfaction with AIT for allergic rhinitis were 86.4% and 83.3% (kappa agreement=0.234, p<0.001), and those for asthma were 85.3% and 72.9% (kappa agreement=0.373, p<0.001). Moreover, pediatric asthmatic patients reported a significantly higher satisfaction rate than adult asthmatic patients after AIT (p=0.040). Symptom severity (p<0.001, respectively) and drug use for allergic rhinitis and asthma decreased after AIT. However, there was no significant difference in satisfaction rates between children and adults in allergic rhinitis (p=0.736). Interestingly, 35.7% and 35% of allergic rhinitis and asthma patients, respectively, reported experiencing improvement in their symptoms within 6 months of starting AIT. CONCLUSION: In this study evaluating the perspectives of patients and physicians on AIT, the majority of patients were satisfied with the efficacy and safety of AIT, but not its cost. AIT should be recommended for AR and allergic patients.

The Role of the Level of Interleukin-33 in the Therapeutic Outcomes of Immunotherapy in Patients with Allergic Rhinitis

Abstract Introduction Allergic rhinitis (AR) affects up to 40% of the population and results in nasal itching, congestion, sneezing, and clear rhinorrhea. Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the changes in the clinical symptoms and in the level of serum interleukin (IL)-33 before and after pollen immunotherapy (IT) in patients with AR. Methods The total symptomscore and the levels of total immunoglobulin E (IgE) and IL-33 were determined in the serum of 10 non-allergic healthy controls and 45 patients with AR who were equally divided into 3 groups: GI (patients did not receive IT), GII (patients had received IT for 6 months) and GIII (patients had received IT for 2 years). Results There was a significantly higher concentration of IgE and IL-33 in the serum of patients with AR than in that of non-allergic patients. Furthermore, serum level of IL-33 decreased significantly after pollen IT. But, there was no significant reduction in the serum level of IL-33 between GII and GIII patients. Conclusion Our results show a clinical improvement associated with a decrease in serum level of IL-33 after pollen IT.

Changes in basophil activation during immunotherapy with house dust mite and mugwort in patients with allergic rhinitis

BACKGROUND: The basophil activation test (BAT) is a promising tool for monitoring allergen-specific immunotherapy responses. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the changes in basophil activation in response to the inhalant allergens of house dust mite (HDM) and mugwort pollen during immunotherapy in patients with allergic rhinitis. METHODS: We enrolled patients with allergic rhinitis who were to receive subcutaneous immunotherapy for the inhalant allergens HDM or mugwort. A BAT was performed to assess CD63 upregulation in response to allergen stimulation using peripheral blood collected from the patients prior to immunotherapy and at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after beginning immunotherapy. Rhinitis symptoms were evaluated using the rhinitis quality of life questionnaire (RQLQ) at 1-year intervals. RESULTS: Seventeen patients (10 with HDM sensitivity, 3 with mugwort sensitivity, and 4 with sensitivity to both HDM and mugwort) were enrolled in the study. Basophil reactivity to HDM did not change significantly during 24 months of immunotherapy. However, a significant reduction in basophil reactivity to mugwort was observed at 24-month follow-up. There was no significant association between the change in clinical symptoms by RQLQ and the change in basophil reactivity to either allergen. The change in allergen-specific basophil reactivity to HDM was well correlated with the change in nonspecific basophil activation induced by anti-FcεRI antibody, although basophil reactivity to anti-FcεRI antibody was not significantly reduced during immunotherapy. CONCLUSION: Suppression of CD63 upregulation in the BAT was only observed with mugwort at 2-year follow-up. However, the basophil response did not reflect the clinical response to immunotherapy.

Allergen standardization

Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) and diagnostic tests are based on well qualified allergen extracts, which are derived from biologic organisms. The allergenicity of the extracts is markedly affected by the climate, soil, year of production, storage methods, and manufacturing processes. Thus, standardization is a crucial process to guarantee the clinical efficacy and safety of the treatment and diagnostic reagents in allergic diseases. There are 2 different standardization processes, one is In vivo and the other is in vitro standardization. In vivo standardization is done by skin prick or intradermal tests. For in vitro standardization, measurements of weight/volume and protein nitrogen units have been widely used since the early period of AIT. In the 1970s, immunological methods such as radial immunodiffusion, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) inhibition test and basophil activation test were developed. Allergen potency measured by ELISA inhibition test reflects the potency measured by skin tests and has been widely used for quality control of batch-to-batch variation. Recently, standardizations focused on the major allergen content of extracts have developed. Standardization for major allergens requires reliable reference materials (RMs) made of recombinant allergens and 2-site ELISA kits. However, only a few reliable RM and 2-site ELISA kits are available. For the standardization process, allergen RMs are essential. The Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration provides 19 allergen RMs, and our research team also proved 9 RMs which are important in Korea. In conclusion, allergen standardization is an essential process for the development of reliable treatment and diagnostic reagents, and allergy specialist should be familiar with the concept of allergen standardization.

Decreased CRTH2 Expression and Response to Allergen Re-stimulation on Innate Lymphoid Cells in Patients With Allergen-Specific Immunotherapy

PURPOSE: Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of allergic disease. However, the effect of allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) on ILCs remains to be clarified. The aim of this study was to evaluate the levels of ILC subsets in allergic rhinitis (AR) patients in response to house dust mite (HDM)-specific immunotherapy. METHODS: We enrolled 37 AR patients undergoing AIT (16 responders and 11 non-responders) for 2 years, 35 HDM AR patients and 28 healthy subjects. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were analyzed by flow cytometry to identify ILC subsets. Stimulation of ILC2s with recombinant allergen-specific protein was used to determine ILC2's activation (CD69 expression). RESULTS: Responder AIT patients and healthy subjects had a decreased frequency of circulating ILC2s compared to non-responder AIT and AR patients. Conversely, ILC1s from responder AIT patients and healthy subjects showed increased frequency compared to non-responder AIT and AR patients. The frequency of ILC3s natural cytotoxicity receptor (NCR)+ and NCR− in responder AIT patients was significantly lower compared to AR patients and healthy subjects. The ILC1: ILC2 proportion in responder AIT patients was similar to that of healthy subjects. PBMCs from patients who were responders to AIT had a significantly lower expression of the activation marker CD69 on ILC2s in response to allergen re-stimulation compared to AR patients, but no difference compared to non-responder AIT patients and healthy subjects. CONCLUSIONS: We propose that AIT might affect ILC responses. The activation of ILC2s was reduced in AR patients treated with AIT. Our results indicate that a relative ILC1/ILC2 skewed response is a possible key to successful AIT.

Dust mite sublingual immunotherapy in asthmatic children / 国际儿科学杂志

Bronchial asthma is one of the most common chronic inflammatory disorders in children.Pharmacotherapy can effectively control the chronic airway inflammation,improve the lung function,but it is difficult to improve the underlying immune response and natural progression of allergic diseases.Allergen specific immunotherapy can modify the course of allergic disease,reducing the risk of new allergic sensitizations,deterring the development of clinical asthma in children treated for allergic rhinitis and induce specific immune tolerance.The principal types of AIT are subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy (SCIT) and sublingual allergen immunotherapy (SLIT).Dust mite is a common type of allergen.Dust mite SLIT has been widely used in clinic due to its effectiveness and safety.

Changes in skin reactivity and associated factors in patients sensitized to house dust mites after 1 year of allergen-specific immunotherapy

BACKGROUND: Allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) can significantly improve symptoms and reduce the need for symptomatic medication. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate changes in skin reactivity to house dust mites (HDMs) as an immunologic response and associated factors after 1 year of immunotherapy. METHODS: A total of 80 patients with allergic airway diseases who received subcutaneous SIT with HDMs from 2009 to 2014 were evaluated. The investigated parameters were basic demographic characteristics, skin reactivity and specific IgE for HDM, serum total IgE level, blood eosinophil counts, and medication score. RESULTS: The mean levels of skin reactivity to HDMs, blood eosinophil counts, and medication scores after 1 year were significantly reduced from baseline. In univariate comparison of the changes in skin reactivity to HDMs, age ≤30 years, HDMs only as target of immunotherapy, and high initial skin reactivity (≥2) to HDMs were significantly associated with the reduction in skin test reactivity. In multivariate analysis, high initial skin reactivity and HDMs only as target allergens were significantly associated with changes in skin reactivity to HDMs. In the receiver operating characteristic curve of the initial mean skin reactivity to HDMs for more than 50% reduction, the optimal cutoff value was 2.14. CONCLUSION: This study showed significant reductions in allergen skin reactivity to HDMs after 1 year of immunotherapy in patients sensitized to HDMs. The extent of initial allergen skin reactivity and only HDMs as target allergen were important predictive factors for changes in skin reactivity.

Allergic conjunctivitis in Asia

Allergic conjunctivitis (AC), which may be acute or chronic, is associated with rhinitis in 30%–70% of affected individuals, hence the term allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (AR/C). Seasonal and perennial AC is generally milder than the more chronic and persistent atopic and vernal keratoconjunctivitis. Natural allergens like house dust mites (HDM), temperate and subtropical grass and tree pollen are important triggers that drive allergic inflammation in AC in the Asia-Pacific region. Climate change, environmental tobacco smoke, pollutants derived from fuel combustion, Asian dust storms originating from central/north Asia and phthalates may also exacerbate AR/C. The Allergies in Asia Pacific study and International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood provide epidemiological data on regional differences in AR/C within the region. AC significantly impacts the quality of life of both children and adults, and these can be measured by validated quality of life questionnaires on AR/C. Management guidelines for AC involve a stepped approach depending on the severity of disease, similar to that for allergic rhinitis and asthma. Topical calcineurin inhibitors are effective in certain types of persistent AC, and sublingual immunotherapy is emerging as an effective treatment option in AR/C to grass pollen and HDM. Translational research predominantly from Japan and Korea involving animal models are important for the potential development of targeted pharmacotherapies for AC.

Subcutaneous Immunotherapy Improves the Symptomatology of Allergic Rhinitis

Introduction The relevance of allergic rhinitis is unquestionable. This condition affects people s quality of life and its incidence has increased over the last years. Objective Thus, this study aims to analyze the effectiveness of subcutaneous injectable immunotherapy in cases of nasal itching, sneeze, rhinorrhea and nasal congestion in allergic rhinitis patients. Methods In the present study, the same researcher analyzed the records of 281 patients. Furthermore, the researchers identified allergens through puncture cutaneous tests using standardized extracts containing acari, fungi, pet hair, flower pollen, and feathers. Then, the patients underwent treatment with subcutaneous specific immunotherapy, using four vaccine vials for desensitization, associated with environmental hygiene. The authors analyzed conditions of nasal itching, sneeze, rhinorrhea, and nasal congestion throughout the treatment, and assigned them with a score ranging from zero (0), meaning absence of these symptoms to three (3), for severe cases. The symptoms were statistically compared in the beginning, during, and after treatment. Results In this study, authors analyzed the cases distribution according to age and the evolution of symptomatology according to the scores, comparing all phases of treatment. The average score for the entire population studied was 2.08 before treatment and 0.44 at the end. These results represent an overall improvement of ±79% in symptomatology of allergic rhinitis in the studied population. Conclusion The subcutaneous immunotherapy as treatment of allergic rhinitis led to a reduction in all symptoms studied, improving the quality of life of patients, proving itself as an important therapeutic tool for these pathological conditions.

Effect on quality of life of the mixed house dust mite/weed pollen extract immunotherapy

BACKGROUND: Although many patients with allergic rhinitis have symptoms due to sensitization to more than one kind of allergens, and mixed allergen extracts are widely used for immunotherapy, there are few published trials. OBJECTIVE: Our study aimed to evaluate the effect of multiple-allergen immunotherapy on improving the symptoms and quality of life of allergic rhinitis patients. METHODS: We performed a 1-year single-center observation study of subcutaneous immunotherapy using house dust mite extract (n = 12), weed pollen extract (n = 21), or mixed house dust mite/weed pollen extract (n = 11) in 44 allergic rhinitis patients. All the allergens responsible for the symptom of each patient were included in his immunotherapy. Symptom score, medication score, and quality of life of the patients were evaluated before and after 1-year immunotherapy. Quality of life was evaluated with the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire. RESULTS: In all 3 groups receiving subcutaneous immunotherapy, significant improvement of symptom score, medication score, and quality of life was found vs. baseline at 1 year, irrespective of the allergen used. In the weed pollen season, the changes of quality of life questionnaire score after 1-year treatment were not significantly different between the weed pollen group (1.55 ± 1.24) and the mixed house dust mite/weed pollen group (1.14 ± 1.01). The same happened in the nonpollen seasons, during which dust mite immunotherapy (1.23 ± 1.63) and mixed immunotherapy (0.60 ± 0.47) did not show significantly different effect on the quality of life. CONCLUSION: The multiple-allergen immunotherapy might be effective in polysensitized allergic rhinitis patients, and could improve their quality of life. Our result did not show significant difference between the effects of multiple-allergen immunotherapy and mono-allergen immunotherapy.

Allergen-specific immunotherapy in pediatric allergic asthma

Allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) is the only curative way that can change the immunologic response to allergens and thus can modify the natural progression of allergic diseases. There are some important criteria which contributes significantly on efficacy of AIT, such as the allergen extract used for treatment, the dose and protocol, patient selection in addition to the severity and control of asthma. The initiation of AIT in allergic asthma should be considered in intermittent, mild and moderate cases which coexisting with other allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis, and in case of unacceptable adverse effects of medications. Two important impact of AIT; steroid sparing effect and preventing from progression to asthma should be taken into account in pediatric asthma when making a decision on starting of AIT. Uncontrolled asthma remains a significant risk factor for adverse events and asthma should be controlled both before and during administration of AIT. The evidence concerning the efficacy of subcutaneous (SCIT) and sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) for treatment of pediatric asthma suggested that SCIT decreases asthma symptoms and medication scores, whereas SLIT can ameliorate asthma symptoms. Although the effectiveness of SCIT has been shown for both seasonal and perennial allergens, the data for SLIT is less convincing for perennial allergies in pediatric asthma.