The RHINASTHMA GAV scores without SLIT, at the beginning and at the end of seasonal SLIT.

Background: The impact of treatments for allergic rhinitis on health-related quality of life (HRQL) becomes more and more important in the view of patients, physicians and payers, but not much is known about the effect of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) on this outcome parameter. Methods: In a prospective observational study, health-related quality of life was assessed with the German adapted version of a new specific questionnaire (RHINASTHMA GAV) in patients with allergic rhinitis with or without mild to moderate asthma due to grass, cereal, and/or rye pollen who were treated with seasonal high-dose SLIT with standardized allergen extracts. Results: 358 patients aged 5 - 68 years, mean ± SD disease duration of 8.8 ± 9.2 years were evaluated. During SLIT, the mean total score and all 5 mean sub-scale scores were substantially reduced by 36% to 55%. Subgroup analyses did not reveal any clinically relevant deviations from the results in the total study population. At the end of SLIT, mean total score and sub-scale scores were virtually identical to those scores assessed during the validation procedure of RHINASTHMA GAV in healthy subjects without rhinitis, conjunctivitis, or asthma. These improvements in HRQL during SLIT were paralleled by substantially reduced disease-related burden, in terms of symptom scores and health-related impairment in daily life and at work. Conclusion: The improvement in HRQL during seasonal SLIT was clinically relevant and reached scores close to normal already in the first pollen season.

Aeroallergens in songkla province.

An all year round survey of atmospheric pollens and molds was made in Hat Yai, Songkla Province in the south of Thailand by Durham’s standard gravity method from 1st January 1984 to 31st December 1984. Most aeroallergens found were mold spores, with Cladosporium (Hormodendrum) on top of the list, and Helminthosporium, Alternaria, Ascospore, Fusarium, Curvalaria, Torula, Rust, Stemphylium Smut, Tetraploa, and Ledtosporium were found to be less common in that order. Grass pollens were found in low counts, as well as weed pollens, which most of them belong to the group of Chenopod-Amaranthus. Unidentifiable pollens were found in high counts, and were probably the pollens of para rubber, cashew, corn, oil palm or wattle. The atmospheric pollens and mold spores were found throughout the year with highest peak in summer and lowest in November and December when there was heavy rain.