title: A double-blind controlled trial of hyposensitization to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus in children with atopic eczema.
abstract: A double-blind controlled trial of hyposensitization with tyrosine-adsorbed Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus vaccine in 24 children with atopic eczema and immediate hypersensitivity to D. pteronyssinus failed to demonstrate superiority over placebo after a standard 8 month course of treatment. In a second phase, children initially administered active treatment were randomly allocated to continue with active treatment or switched to placebo for a further 6 months. The clinical scores suggest that prolonged hyposensitization may be more effective than placebo but the numbers were too small to permit confident conclusions. A dramatic placebo effect may have served to conceal any additional therapeutic effect from active treatment.
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Sick Children, London, U.K.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Glover
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Atherton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000008:administration & dosage; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic / Q000009:adverse effects; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008925:Mites / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides; C018105:migen