Immunotherapy with a standardized Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus extract. V. Duration of the efficacy of immunotherapy after its cessation.

Specific immunotherapy (SIT) using a standardized mite extract is effective and safe when administered under optimal conditions. However, the duration of its effectiveness after cessation of treatment remains unknown. Forty asthmatic subjects who had received SIT with a standardized Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p) extract under the same protocol were studied.

Heterogeneity of atopy. I. Clinical and immunologic characteristics of patients allergic to cypress pollen.

The heterogeneity of pollen-allergic persons is well known but poorly characterized. Cypress is one of the major pollen-producing plants of the Mediterranean area. A study was undertaken to characterize the symptoms presented by patients allergic to cypress pollen and the heterogeneity of the IgE immune response between patients allergic only to cypress pollen and those who are polysensitized.

Systemic reactions occurring during immunotherapy with standardized pollen extracts.

Specific immunotherapy with standardized extracts administered by a rush protocol can induce systemic reactions (SRs). A prospective study was conducted in 454 pollen-allergic patients (aged 5 to 62 years) (1) to compare the incidence of SRs during a 3-day rush or step protocol, (2) to determine if patients presenting pollen asthma or those allergic to multiple pollen species would have an increased incidence of SRs, and (3) to attempt to decrease SRs. According to their sensitivity, patients received standardized extracts of orchard grass, and/or Parietaria, and/or olive, and/or plane-tree pollen with the same allergenically bioequivalent maintenance dose.

Differences in clinical and immunologic reactivity of patients allergic to grass pollens and to multiple-pollen species. II. Efficacy of a double-blind, placebo-controlled, specific immunotherapy with standardized extracts.

The IgE response of patients only allergic to grass pollens differs from response of patients allergic to multiple-pollen species. The IgE immunoblots to orchard-grass pollens confirmed that polysensitized patients had more proteins revealed than patients only allergic to grass pollens. To determine if both groups of patients present a different response toward specific immunotherapy (IT), a double-blind, placebo-controlled study was performed in 70 patients.