Short-course subcutaneous treatment with PQ Grass strongly improves symptom and medication scores in grass allergy.

Background: A modified grass allergen subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) product with MicroCrystalline Tyrosine and monophosphoryl lipid-A as an adjuvant system (Grass MATA MPL [PQ Grass]) is being developed as short-course treatment of grass-pollen allergic rhinitis (SAR) and/or rhinoconjunctivitis. We sought to evaluate the combined symptom and medication score (CSMS) of the optimized cumulative dose of 27,600 standardized units (SU) PQ Grass in a field setting prior to embarking on a pivotal Phase III trial.

Methods: In this exploratory, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial subjects were enrolled across 14 sites (Germany and the United States of America).

Onset of action for the relief of allergic rhinitis symptoms with second-generation antihistamines.

Onset of action for relief of allergic rhinitis symptoms is of clinical significance to both the physician and the patient. Using either subjective or objective methods, the onset of action after a single, oral dose of an antihistamine can be measured. Multicenter studies, outdoor studies, and pollen challenge systems have been used to measure the onset of action.

The course of asthma parallels that of allergic rhinitis: a 23-year follow-up study of college students.

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the course of asthma and allergic rhinitis among former Brown University students who were diagnosed with these diseases either before or after their freshman year of 1962 or 1963. A total of 738 former students, who were evaluated and underwent skin testing during their freshman year, completed a 23-year follow-up questionnaire inquiring of their history of allergies and asthma and are the focus of this study. The activity of asthma as related to the course of allergic rhinitis (hay fever and/or nonseasonal allergic rhinitis) was examined.

Natural history of asthma: a 23-year followup of college students.

Objective: A 23-year followup study of 1,601 college students who were initially evaluated for evidence of asthma and allergic rhinitis by direct interviews, physical examination, laboratory tests, and repeated questionnaires was conducted.

Methods And Results: The individuals were located through addresses from the alumnae office. Of these, 1,021 (64%) returned their completed questionnaires and these included 738 (72%) who had allergy skin tests as freshmen.