Abstract
Introduction
One method of treatment for allergic diseases is allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT). The clinical efficacy of SIT in pollen-induced allergic rhinitis has been demonstrated in several controlled clinical trials. There is no consensus about the protective effect of SIT. In this study, we evaluated the correlation between the duration of SIT and relapse of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis.
Methods
We evaluated 148 patients who had received SIT between 1998 and 2006. All of the patients had allergic rhinoconjunctivitis. According to the data 116 had sensitivity to grass pollen and 32 to house dust. SIT was performed on 87 patients for 4 y (Group A) and 61 patients for 6 y (Group B).
Results
All of the 148 patients were monitored regularly with no medication for 2 y after SIT. Thirty-one patients in Group A relapsed (36%); 11 patients in Group B relapsed (18%). Mean duration until relapse was 11.1±1.99 mo in Group A and 19.64±1.86 mo in Group B. During evaluation, symptom scores were 2.32±0.74 in Group A and 1.81±0.75 in Group B and serum total immunoglobulin E levels were 432.4±78.5 KU/lt in Group A and 288.6±55.3 KU/lt in Group B. There was significant difference between the groups (P<0.05).
Conclusion
According to these results, long-term SIT therapy correlates with long-term, allergen-specific, acquired immunological tolerance.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Varney VA, Hamid QA, Gaga M, et al. Influence of grass pollen immunotherapy on cellular infiltration and cytokine mRNA expression during allergen-induced late-phase cutaneous responses. J Clin Invest. 1993;92:644–651.
Durham SR, Till JR. Immunologic changes associated with allergen immunotherapy. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1998;102:157–164.
Stevens WJ. Immunotherapy for allergic reactions. Acta Clin Belg. 1998;53:66–72.
Norman PS. Immunotherapy: past and present. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1998;102:1–10.
Creticos PS. The consideration of immunotherapy in the treatment of allergic asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2000;105:559–575.
Walker SM, Varney VA, Gaga M, et al. Grass pollen immunotherapy: efficacy and safety during a 4-year follow-up study. Allergy. 1995;50:405–413.
Frick OL, Teuber SS, Buchanan BB, Morigasaki S, Umetsu DT. Allergen immunotherapy with heat-killed monocytogenes alleviates peanut and food induced anaphylaxis in dogs. Allergy. 2005;60:243–250.
Marcucci F, Sensi L, Di Cara G, Incorvaia C, Frati F. Dose dependence of immunological response to sublingual immunotherapy. Allergy. 2005;60:952–956.
Georgitis JW, Reisman RE, Clayton WF, Mueller U, Wypych JJ, Arbesman CE. Local nasal immunotherapy for grass allergic rhinitis. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1983;71:71–76.
Mathews KP, Bayne NK, Banas JM, Mclean JA, Bacon J. Controlled studies of intranasal immunotherapy for ragweed pollenosis. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol. 1981;66:218–224.
Stewart GA, Thompson PJ, Simpson RJ. Protease antigens from house dust mite. Lancet. 1989;2:154–155.
Durham SR. New insights into mechanisms of immunotherapy. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 1995;252:64–67.
Suwat B, Amy O, Peter M, et al. The kinetics of change in cytokine production by CD4+ T cells during conventional allergen immunotherapy. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1999;103:468–475.
Keskin G, Inal A, Sari RA, et al. Serum IFN-γ and IL-10 levels before and after specific immunotherapy in patients with allergic rhinitis. Allergol Immunopathol (Madr). 1999;27:261–264.
Francis JN, Till SJ, Durham SR. Induction of IL-10+CD4+CD25+ T cells by grass pollen immunotherapy. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2003;111:1255–1261.
Walker SM, Pajno GB, Lima MT, et al. Grass pollen immunotherapy for seasonal asthma: a randomized, controlled trial. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2001;107:87–93.
Andri L, Sena GE, Dama AR. Clinical efficacy and safety of local nasal immunotherapy. Allergy. 1997;52(suppl 33):36–39.
Canonica GW, Ciprandi G, Buscaglia S, Pesce G, Bagnasco M. Adhesion molecules of allergic inflammation: recent insights into their functional roles. Allergy. 1994;49:135–141.
Ohashi Y, Nakai Y, Okamoto H, et al. Significant correlation between symptom score and IgG4 antibody titer following long-term immunotherapy for perennial allergic rhinitis. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 1997;106:483–489.
Klimek L, Wolf H, Mewes T, et al. The effect of short-term immunotherapy with molecular standardized grass and rye allergens on eosinophil cationic protein and tryptase in nasal secretions. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1999;103:47–53.
Malling HJ. Immunotherapy in Europe. Clin Exp Allergy. 1994;24:15–21.
Durham SR, Varney V, Gaga M, et al. Immunotherapy and allergic inflammation. Clin Exp Allergy. 1991;21(suppl):206–210.
Varney VA, Gaga M, Frew AJ, et al. Usefulness of immunotherapy in patients with severe summer hay fever uncontrolled by antiallergic drugs. BMJ. 1991;302:265–269.
Bousquet J, Lockey RF, Malling HJ. WHO position paper. Allergen immunotherapy: therapeutic vaccines for allergic disease. Allergy. 1998;53:1–42.
Durham SR, Walker SM, Varga EM, et al. Long-term clinical efficacy of grass pollen immunotherapy. N Engl J Med. 1999;341:468–475.
Des Roches A, Paradis L, Knani J. Immunotherapy with a standardised Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus extract. Duration of the effects of immunotherapy after its cessation. Allergy. 1996;51:430–434.
Cox L, Cohn JR. Duration of allergen immunotherapy in respiratory allergy: when is enough, enough? Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2007;98:416–426.
Lee H, Kleine-Tebbe J, Zuberbier T, Worm M. Current recommendations for the use of SCIT and SLIT. Hautarzt. 2006;57:860–866.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ali, I., Goksal, K., Ozan, B. et al. Long-term allergen-specific immunotherapy correlates with long-term allergen-specific immunological tolerance. Adv Therapy 25, 29–36 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12325-008-0004-3
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12325-008-0004-3