SIGNIFICANT CORRELATION BETWEEN SYMPTOM SCORE AND IGG4 ANTIBODY TITERFOLLOWING LONG-TERM IMMUNOTHERAPY FOR PERENNIAL ALLERGIC RHINITIS

Although there is evidence of some measure of clinical benefit as well as immunologic change during the early phase of immunotherapy, a sust ained clinical response is only possible with prolonged therapy. Immun otherapy has to be administered for about 3 to 5 years for such sustai ned clinical efficacy. This study aimed at investigating the dynamics of IgE and IgG4 antibodies after more than 5 years of immunotherapy, t o examine the statistical correlation between these antibodies and sym ptom scores. Our study demonstrated that the allergen-specific IgE ant ibody level significantly decreases and the IgG4 antibody level signif icantly increases following immunotherapy. However, the percent decrea se in IgE antibodies did not correlate with the percent decrease in sy mptom scores. On the other hand, the percent increase in IgG4 antibodi es correlated with the percent decrease in symptom scores. We infer th at an elevation of IgG4 antibodies is not simply an epiphenomenon unre lated to the underlying working mechanism of clinically successful imm unotherapy, but probably makes an active contribution to symptom relie f.