title: Safety and immunogenicity of immunotherapy with accelerated dosage schedules of polymerized grass and ragweed in patients with dual inhalant sensitivity.
abstract: Immunotherapy with individually polymerized grasses (IPG) and immunotherapy with polymerized ragweed (PRW) have been demonstrated to be immunogenic and safe and to result in lowering of symptom-medication scores compared to placebo. We conducted this study to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of immunotherapy with concomitantly administered accelerated dosage schedules of IPG and PRW in 12 patients with dual inhalant sensitivities. Patients were treated in nine weekly visits with IPG, comprising 71,950 PNU; they were treated in 11 weekly visits with PRW comprising 2955 allergy units. Eleven additional patients who had been previously treated with IPG received only PRW. There were no systemic reactions and no clinically significant changes in routine laboratory parameters, including hepatic and renal functions, with injections. There were significant rises in IgG titers by ELISA to each grass-pollen allergen administered, orchard, timothy, and Bermuda, and in total antibody binding of antigen E. Changes in IgE against orchard, timothy, Bermuda, and antigen E were minor. Thus, IPG and PRW administered concomitantly in accelerated dosage schedules are safe and immunogenic in patients with dual inhalant sensitivities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Ill.
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Grammer
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Shaughnessy
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Shaughnessy
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Patterson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006109:Poaceae; D011058:Pollen; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G