title: Placebo-controlled immunotherapy with Cocos nucifera pollen extract.
abstract: The effectiveness of Cocos nucifera pollen extract immunotherapy (CPE-IT) was studied in 96 patients allergic to C. nucifera pollen. A placebo-controlled study was performed at random for a period of 6-12 months. The clinical status of the patients measured by the symptom-medication scores demonstrated that C. nucifera pollen-allergic patients had significant (p < 0.005) clinical improvement after CPE-IT in comparison to placebo treatment. Serological study resulted a significant reduction (p < 0.001) of specific IgE and significant elevation (p < 0.01) of specific IgG in post-therapeutic patients' sera which were correlated significantly (r = 0.45, p < 0.001); the changes of the above immunoglobulin levels in the placebo-treated patients were nonsignificant. However, there was no correlation between symptom-medication scores and changes in specific serum IgE or IgG levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Calcutta.
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Karmakar
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D003059:Cocos / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000628:therapy*; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D007167:Immunotherapy; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010919:Placebos; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology*; D012882:Skin Tests
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D010919:Placebos; D010936:Plant Extracts; D007073:Immunoglobulin E