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Clinico-immunologic Study on Immunotherapy with Mixed and Single Insect Allergens

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Abstract

Background

Immunotherapy (IT) is practiced mainly with mixed and single allergen vaccines. But studies are rare with mixed allergen preparations.

Objective

The objective of this study is to study mix and single insect allergen IT in patients of allergic rhinitis and asthma.

Methods

We performed a double-blind placebo-controlled trial of mix and single allergen IT for 1 year in 99 patients of asthma or rhinitis or both. There were two groups, (1) active allergen IT (n = 61) with three subgroups single insect extract (cockroach, housefly, or mosquito) and mix allergen IT (two or three insect extracts) and (2) placebo (n = 38). Clinical (skin reactivity, airway reactivity, and symptom score) and immunological (IgE/IgG4 and IgG1/IgG4 ratio) parameters were assessed at baseline and after 1 year of IT.

Results

Eighty-five patients completed 1 year of IT. The active allergen IT group patients showed a significant improvement compared to baseline values (p < 0.05) and placebo group patients (p < 0.05) with regard to symptom scores, FEV1 values, and immunological parameters (IgG4). No significant difference was found between mixed and single IT group patients for changes in clinical and immunological parameters. Positive correlation was observed between increase in IgG4 and clinical improvement. The changes in above parameters in placebo group were nonsignificant after 1 year of treatment.

Conclusion

IT with two to three mix extract from the same allergen group is effective for insect hypersensitivity.

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Acknowledgment

Authors thank Mr. Ashok Kumar Sinha and Mr. Dinesh Chand, V. P. Chest Institute, Delhi for technical support in skin testing and spirometry. Thanks are due to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-NWP05 for financial assistance to this project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mall Road, Delhi, 110007, India

    Deepsikha Srivastava, Bhanu P. Singh & Naveen Arora

  2. University of Pune, Ganeskhind, Pune, 411007, India

    Deepsikha Srivastava

  3. Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India

    Shailendra Nath Gaur

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  1. Deepsikha Srivastava
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  2. Bhanu P. Singh
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Correspondence to Shailendra Nath Gaur.

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Srivastava, D., Singh, B.P., Arora, N. et al. Clinico-immunologic Study on Immunotherapy with Mixed and Single Insect Allergens. J Clin Immunol 29, 665–673 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10875-009-9307-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10875-009-9307-7

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