CLINICAL AND IMMUNOGENETIC EFFECTS OF PRE SEASONAL HYPOSENSITIZATION IN CHILDREN WITH POLLINOSIS

Background: Safety, clinical efficacy and immunogenic effect of presea sonal immunotherapy with a depot-allergoid extract ought to be documen ted in children with pollinosis before routine clinical use of this mo de of hyposensitization can be recommended. Methods: 14 children with pollen allergy were prospectively treated with s.c. injections of a de pot-allergoid-extract. We recorded 1. local and systemic reactions, 2. variations of symptoms and total drug requirements, 3. changes of skin reactions (Prick test) and 4. determinations of specific IgG-antibodi es before and after two immunotherapies. The control group consisted o f 14 pollen allergic children, who were only symptomatically treated o ver the same time period. Results: After a total of 321 s.c. injection s there were no systemic reactions, local reactions however were recor ded in 4,7%. Allergic symptoms and drug requirement were decreased aft er two courses of immunotherapy. A significant decrease in skin reacti ons to allergens (p<0,01) was observed in contrast to an increase in s ymptomatically treated children. Specific antibodies of all IgG-subcla sses increased significantly after two immunotherapies. Conclusions: T he preseasonal immunotherapy with depot-allergoid extract is safe and well tolerated. Children with confirmed pollinosis complained of fewer and less severe symptoms. There was an immunogenic effect after a sec ond treatment course.