title: Efficacy and safety of specific immunotherapy with a high-dose sublingual grass pollen preparation: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is increasingly being used for the treatment of allergic rhinitis, but there are conflicting study results demonstrating clinically relevant efficacy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To show clinical efficacy and safety of a new high-dose grass pollen preparation for SLIT.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a 2-year, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 185 subjects with rhinitis or rhinoconjunctivitis, with or without asthma, were treated with a recently developed, high-dose, 6-grass pollen mixture for SLIT once daily.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The primary end point, a combined symptom-medication score, showed almost no change in the placebo group during a 42-day evaluation period in the grass pollen season from 2003 to 2005, whereas active treatment was associated with a significant and clinically relevant improvement (full analysis set, P = .01; main data set, P = .002). The effect was irrespective of asthma diagnosis. Allergen-specific IgE showed no difference in both groups, and specific IgG4 and IgG1 increased with active treatment in the first and second study years compared with placebo, clearly indicating the immunogenic effect of the active treatment. The SLIT was well tolerated. No serious adverse drug reactions occurred.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High-dose, sublingual, specific immunotherapy with an extract of a 6-grass pollen mixture showed a significant and clinically relevant improvement in subjects with grass pollen-associated rhinitis or rhinoconjunctivitis, with or without asthma. The treatment with the sublingual solution was well tolerated.
authors.affiliation: Rhinology and Allergology Center, Wiesbaden, Germany. oliver.pfaar@hno-wiesbaden.de
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pfaar
authors.forename: Ludger
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Klimek
mesh_terms: D000286:Administration, Sublingual; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006109:Poaceae / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology; D011058:Pollen / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007073:Immunoglobulin E