Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Senti, Gabriela, MD
• Graf, Nicole, PhD
• Haug, Susanne, MD
• Rüedi, Nadine, MD
• von Moos, Seraina, MD
• Sonderegger, Theodor, PhD
• Johansen, Pål, PhD
• Kündig, Thomas M., MD

Titel

Epicutaneous allergen administration as a novel method of allergen-specific immunotherapy

Ist Teil von

• Journal of allergy and clinical immunology, 2009-11, Vol.124 (5), p.997-1002

Ort / Verlag

New York, NY: Mosby, Inc

Erscheinungsjahr

2009

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Background Subcutaneous allergen-specific immunotherapy is an effective treatment of IgE-mediated allergies, but it requires repeated allergen injections with a risk of systemic allergic reactions. Transcutaneous immunotherapy may improve patient compliance and safety. Objective To assess the safety and efficacy of epicutaneous allergen immunotherapy. Methods This monocentric, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial was conducted from March 2006 to December 2007 at the University Hospital Zurich. Thirty-seven adult patients with positive skin prick and nasal provocation tests to grass pollen were randomized to receive patches containing either allergen (n = 21) or placebo (n = 16). Treatment took place before and during the pollen season 2006, and follow-up visits took place before (n = 26) and after the pollen season 2007 (n = 30). The primary outcome measures were nasal provocation tests. Results Allergen-treated patients showed significantly decreased scores in nasal provocation tests in the first ( P < .001) and second year ( P = .003) after treatment. In contrast, placebo-treated patients had decreased scores in the first treatment year, 2006 ( P = .03), but the effect diminished in the second year ( P = .53). Although improvement of nasal provocation test scores was not significantly better in the verum versus placebo group, the overall treatment success was rated significantly higher by the allergen-treated group than by the placebo group (2006, P = .02; 2007, P = .005). No severe adverse events were observed. Occurrence of eczema after allergen patch applications proved stimulation of specific T-cell responses, but was noted as an adverse effect of the treatment. Conclusion Epicutaneous allergen immunotherapy is a promising strategy to treat allergies and merits further investigation.