title: Preseasonal specific immunotherapy with modified Phleum pratense allergenic extracts: tolerability and effects.
abstract: The preparation of chemically modified allergens, with a reduced IgE binding capacity (responsible for side effects with traditional immunotherapy) but with the same or greater immunogenic activity, is one of the paths followed to obtain better results with specific immunotherapy (IT). The aim of the study was to evaluate the tolerability and effects of an extract Phleum pratense, modified with glutaraldehyde and absorbed on aluminium hydroxide, in controlling the seasonal symptomatology induced by grass pollen in a group of 10 monosensitized patients, compared to a group of 10 similar patients not treated with specific IT but with drugs alone. The monitoring parameters were: 1) Clinical: a) symptomatology after specific conjunctival provocation test (pre and post seasonal) and during the natural exposure to the allergen b) drug consumption. 2) Immunological (peripheral blood eosinophils, total and specific IgE, total specific IgG). 3) Cytological, before, during and after the pollen season.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In subjects treated with specific IT a) both the overall symptomatology and the drug consumption resulted significantly reduced compared to the controls (p = 0.045); b) the phlogistic infiltrate showed a tendency to decrease during the pollen season; c) the peripheral blood eosinophils, total and specific IgE and IgG did not show any significant variation compared to the controls; d) no systemic reactions occurred and there were only two slight local reactions.
authors.affiliation: Servizio di Allergologia, Ospedale Koelliker de Missionari di Maria S.S. Consolata, Torino, Italia.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ricca
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ciprandi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pesce
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Riccio
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Varese
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pecora
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Canonica
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000536:Aluminum Hydroxide; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000209:etiology; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000209:etiology; D004804:Eosinophils; D005260:Female; D005976:Glutaral; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology*; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D012621:Seasons; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000485:Allergens; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D000536:Aluminum Hydroxide; D005976:Glutaral