Po PolskuDepartment of Allergology & Internal Diseases, University Medical School, Bialystok, Poland
Published in: R. Spiewak (Editor): "Pollens and Pollinosis: Current Problems". Institute of Agricultural Medicine, Lublin (Poland) 1995, pages 94-95.
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The aim of this paper was to evaluate the clinical efficacy, individual tolerance and side events of Polish allergen extracts; a weed pollen extract - Catalet "C" and trees pollen extract - Catalet "D" produced by Biomed, Poland. The humoral immunological response was also evaluated.
The study was carried out in a group of 41 patients aged from 15 to 46 years, in whom the hypersensitivity to weed and tree pollen was confirmed by: case history, positive skin tests and the presence of specific IgE. The reference group consisted of 33 patients of a similar age (16 - 46 years) with pollen allergy. This group was treated with placebo. Both the group treated as well as the placebo group were allowed to take antiallergic drugs, mainly antihistaminics, during the pollen season. The immunotherapy was carried out before the pollen season, beginning with a dose of 25 PNU and then at four and seven day intervals with increasing doses: 250, 2500 and 5000 PNU. The last dose was repeated after 2 weeks, completing the immunotherapy cycle before the tree and weed pollen season.
The clinical results were evaluated according to patients' self assessment (symptom score) physicians' examination, consumption of antihistaminics. Furthermore, the level of total and specific IgE (Fluorescence immunoassay BioWhittaker - USA) and allergen specific IgG4 (CAP System RIA Pharmacia, Sweden), were determined before sIT and after each course of treatment. A statistical evaluation of the results in comparison with the placebo group was made using the parametric tests (Statgraphics 5 program) with the use of IBM PC computer.
A very good tolerance, no serious side effects and a high clinical efficacy, manifested in a diminution of the pollinosis symptoms and a significant reduction of antiallergic drug consumption in more than 80% of the patients treated in comparison with the placebo group was observed. Both allergen extracts possess significant immunogenic properties, manifested in a decrease in specific IgE to birch and alder allergens (non statistically significant) and in markedly, stastically significant, decreased IgE specific to plantain, mugwort and lamb's quarter allergens. The low level of specific IgG4 before sIT rose markedly after 2 seasons of immunotherapy.
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