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. 2024 Sep 1;52(5):80-84.
doi: 10.15586/aei.v52i5.1150. eCollection 2024.

Real-World Study of Ragweed Sublingual Immunotherapy in Hungary

Adrienne Nagy  1 , Katalin Balogh  2 , Csilla Csáki  3 , Beáta Fábos  4 , Edit Mohácsi  5 , Gábor Papp  6
Affiliations

Real-World Study of Ragweed Sublingual Immunotherapy in Hungary

Adrienne Nagy et al. Allergol Immunopathol (Madr). .

Abstract

Background: Ragweed (Ambrosia elatior) has become invasive in Europe, causing significant respiratory issues. Subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy (SCIT) has long been used to manage pollen allergies, but sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) has gained interest.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical benefits of ragweed SLIT under real-world in a cohort of Hungarian patients allergic to ragweed pollen.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 57 patients during the 2015 and 2016 ragweed pollen seasons. Patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 (n = 29), who had not received immunotherapy, and Group 2 (n = 28), who had previously undergone immunotherapy with another sublingual preparation. All patients were treated with Oraltek® ragweed for 4-6 months, initiating 2-4 months before the pollen season and rest of the period was 2 months of the 2016 pollen season. Symptom score (SS), medication score (MS), and combined symptom and medication score (CSMS) were evaluated intra- and intergroup.

Results: Pollen counts were consistent between 2015 and 2016. All patients showed significant improvement in SS, MS, and CSMS, with a large effect size (>0.8). Group 2 had significantly lower SS and CSMS in 2015 because of prior immunotherapy. By 2016, both groups exhibited marked improvements, with Group 1 showing a 75% improvement in CSMS. No local or systemic reactions were recorded, indicating a high safety profile.

Conclusions: Ragweed SLIT significantly improved symptoms and reduced use of medication in patients allergic to ragweed pollen. The treatment was effective even in patients with previous immunotherapy, with a high benefit-risk ratio demonstrated by the absence of adverse reactions. These findings support the use of Oraltek SLIT for managing ragweed pollen allergy.

Keywords: allergic rhinitis; immunotherapy safety; ragweed; real-life study; respiratory allergies; sublingual immunotherapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no potential conflict of interest with respect to research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

References

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