The immunological and clinical effects of immunotherapy in patients suffering from house dust allergy

Abstract

A group of 48 patients with asthma and rhinitis, sensitive to house dust allergen, underwent immunotherapy with an extract of crude house dust for a period of 6-12 months. The clinical results of the therapy, as evaluated by symptom medication scores, demonstrated the significant clinical improvement of the patients treated by crude dust extract (CDE) compared to those treated by placebo. A significant (p < 0.001) reduction of specific IgE and elevation (p < 0.001) of specific IgG in the post-therapeutic patient sera was demonstrated by serological tests. A good correlation was observed between the changes in specific IgE and IgG levels.