title: Parietaria sublingual allergoid immunotherapy with a co-seasonal treatment schedule.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) with monomeric allergoid, given according to the standard scheme, resulted effective and safe. However, the achievement of a clinical benefit requires a long time. We thus performed this study using an administration protocol starting in the co-seasonal period with a 3-day build-up phase and lasting only 6 months, in order to obtain the above benefit in a shorter time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study, prospective, randomised and controlled versus drug therapy, was conducted on 65 rhinitic and/or asthmatic patients allergic to Parietaria with or without other sensitisations. Twenty-four were allocated to 1,000 AU/week, 21 to 3,000 AU/week and 21 to drug therapy. They were treated from April to September 2006. At baseline, 3 and 6 months a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was performed to assess the patients' well-being. Drug consumption was evaluated by means of monthly diary cards. Bronchial reactivity was investigated at baseline and 6 months by methacholine challenge test. There was a greater VAS improvement in both the SLIT groups than in the controls after 6 months (p<0.05). In patients taking 3,000 AU/week this was already evident after 3 months. There was a significant reduction in rescue medication consumption between 3 and 6 months (p<0.05) in all three groups. The bronchial reactivity was reduced only in the SLIT groups (p<0.001). No adverse events were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At 6 months the allergoid SLIT showed itself to be effective and safe. In addition the subjective clinical benefit was obtained in a more rapid period, i.e. 3 instead of 6 months, when a higher maintenance dose was administered.
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Centre Disease, Papardo Hospital, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: D'Anneo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arena
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gammeri
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Falagiani
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Riva
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leonardi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: La Rosa
mesh_terms: D000286:Administration, Sublingual; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D052179:Antigens, Plant / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D001985:Bronchial Provocation Tests; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D032403:Parietaria / Q000276:immunology*; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D012621:Seasons; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D052179:Antigens, Plant