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. 2002 Aug 30:2:11.
doi: 10.1186/1471-5945-2-11.

Specific immunotherapy in Albanian patients with anaphylaxis to hymenoptera venoms

Ervin Mingomataj  1 , Alfred Priftanji, Etleva Qirko, Q Thai Dinh, Axel Fischer, Christian Peiser, David A Groneberg
Affiliations

Specific immunotherapy in Albanian patients with anaphylaxis to hymenoptera venoms

Ervin Mingomataj et al. BMC Dermatol. .

Abstract

Background: Severe allergic reactions during rush-specific immunotherapy (Rush-SIT) may occur in the treatment of hymenoptera sting allergy. The objective of the present study was to examine the characteristics of allergic reactions during Rush-SIT in a cohort of patients with allergy towards hymenoptera venom in the mediterranean population of Albania.

Methods: A retrospective study was performed using the clinical reports of 37 patients with venom of bee (apinae), wasp (vespidae, subfamily vespinae) or paperwasp (vespidae, subfamily polistinae) allergy treated with Rush-SIT between 1987 and 1996. After hymenoptera sting allergy diagnosis according to anamnesis and intracutaneous tests the patient were treated with Rush-SIT. The protocol lasted 3 - 4 d with an increase in the concentration from 0.01 microg/ml to 100 microg/ml. Anaphylactic reactions were classified according to the Mueller-classification.

Results: The frequency of reactions during Rush-SIT for bee-venom was 4.7% and for wasp-venom was 1.5% (p < 0.01). The mean frequency of reactions of Mueller grade II for the bee-venom Rush-SIT patients during the first 4 d (= 26 injections) was 0.73 and for the wasp-venom Rush-SIT patients 0.15. No patient experienced a third-degree reaction. 94.6% of the patient supported an end dose of 100 microg.

Conclusions: Rush-SIT is a reliable method for the treatment of anaphylactic reactions to hymenoptera venom even in less developed countries. Bee-venom Rush-SIT was found to cause higher numbers allergic reactions than wasp or paperwasp Rush-SIT.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Dose-dependency of reactions. The reactions were classiefied according to Mueller 10 with grade I – urticaria, pruritus, malaise; grade II – angioedema, chest tightness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness; grade III – dispnoea, wheeze, stridor, dysphagia, hoarseness, and grade IV – hypotension, collapse, loss of consciousness, incontinence, cyanosis. Black: Mueller I, grey: Mueller II.
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