Evaluation of immunotherapy by nasal antigen challenge.
BACKGROUND
Nasal antigen challenge test is used to evaluate the allergic conditions within different diagnostic procedures.


OBJECTIVE
This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of immunotherapy (IT) in an objective and simple way in children with perennial allergic rhinitis.


METHODS
This study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled procedure. Nineteen patients (mean age 10 +/- 6 years) were treated only with IT and 17 patients (mean age 11 +/- 5 years) constituted the control group without any treatment. The patients were evaluated at the beginning and at 3 and 6 months of IT. Nasal provocation reactions were evaluated and scored at 5-, 10-, and 30-minute intervals.


RESULTS
In the IT group, mean clinical scores and mean nasal provocation scores decreased significantly between the initial value and at 3 and 6 months of IT, whereas there was no significant change in the value for the control group. There were no significant differences among the 5-, 10-, 15-, and 30-minute evaluations within both the IT and control groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The efficacy of IT in perennial allergic rhinitis may be assessed by the nasal antigen challenge test in a simple and objective way within a 5-minute period.
Cengizlier
R
R
Department of Pediatric Allergy, Social Security Children's Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Saraçlar
Y
Y
Tomaç
N
N
D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000293:Adolescent; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008925:Mites / Q000276:immunology; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D000485:Allergens