Sublingual immunotherapy in polysensitized patients: effect on quality of life.

Background: Quality of life (QOL) is an important issue in allergic rhinitis and has been evaluated in a number of studies that have shown how it is impaired in untreated patients and improved by effective treatment. However, there are no data concerning QOL after sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) in polysensitized patients.

Objective: To evaluate the effect, in real-life clinical practice, of SLIT on QOL in a population of polysensitized patients with allergic rhinitis.

Characteristics of patients with allergic polysensitization: the POLISMAIL study.

Background: The natural history of respiratory allergy is commonly characterized by a worsening of symptom severity, frequent comorbidity of rhinitis and asthma, and polysensitization to aeroallergens. The polysensitization phenomenon starts since childhood and is rare to find monosensitized adult patients. However, there are few studies investigating the characteristics of polysensitized patients.

Safety and pharmacoeconomics of a cluster administration of mite immunotherapy compared to the traditional one.

Accelerated schedules of administration of immunotherapy (rush or clustered) allow to reach the maintenance dosage in shorter times with respect to traditional schedules. Nowadays formal assessments of the safety and economic aspects of those schedule lack for inhalant allergens. We compared in a prospective randomized open study a cluster and a traditional immunotherapy with standardized mite extracts.

Effects of sublingual immunotherapy in patients sensitised to Ambrosia. An open controlled study.

Background: Allergy to Ambrosia is a disease of growing importance in Europe. Injective and non-injective immunotherapy have been recognised as safe and effective but no evidence is currently available for sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) in patients sensitised to Ambrosia. This study was planned to assess the effects and the safety of SLIT in patients clinically sensitised to Ambrosia.

The role of suggestion in asthma. II. Effects of a bronchoconstrictor drug on bronchial reactivity under bronchoconstrictor or bronchodilator suggestion.

Previous studies have shown that suggestion may modify bronchial reactivity to both inactive diluents and pharmacologically bronchoconstrictor or dilator substances. In our study, 14 patients were subjected to two methacholine challenge tests presented, respectively, as a bronchoconstrictor or as a bronchodilator drug. Forced expiratory volumes in one second were recorded and a PD20 was determined.