Local nasal immunotherapy with a powder extract for grass pollen induced rhinitis in pediatric ages: a controlled study.
Forty pediatric patients, ranging from 5-13 years of age and suffering from grass pollen rhinoconjunctivitis, were submitted to local nasal preseasonal (12 weeks) immunotherapy, either with a grass pollen extract or with placebo. After 1 year, 15 of these patients (5 previously treated with active product and 10 with placebo) were treated with the grass pollen extract preseasonally for 2 consecutive years. Before and after treatment, serum total IgA and IgE, and specific IgG and IgE were assayed as well as carrying out nasal provocation tests (NPT) with extracts at different concentrations, endpoint evaluations by rhinomanometry and prick tests with different concentrations of extract. After only 1 year, the actively treated patients showed a significant decrease of daily nasal and conjunctival signs and symptoms-as judged by a 1 to 3 score-in comparison with the control group. The placebo group showed the same results after the 3rd year. The improvement was confirmed by a significant increase of the dose threshold in NPT. No immunological alterations were evident.
Bardare
M
M
1st Pediatric Clinic, University of Milan, Italy.
Zani
G
G
Novembre
E
E
Vierucci
A
A
D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology*; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D010936:Plant Extracts