Grass Pollen Subcutaneous Immunotherapy in Elderly Patients
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2014-12-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Background There is limited evidence indicating that specific immunotherapy in elderly
patients is safe and effective. This study was performed to evaluate the safety and efficacy
of specific subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) against grass pollen allergens in patients over
60 years of age with seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) and a confirmed allergy to grass
pollen.
Objective This study assessed the safety and efficacy of SCIT for grass pollen allergens in
elderly patients with SAR.
Methods This study included 62 60- to 75-year-old patients with SAR and grass pollen allergy
confirmed using a skin prick test, nasal provocation, and serum IgE measurement. The patients
were individually randomized to the active or placebo groups using a double-blinded method.
There were 33 subjects in the SCIT group (Purethal, Grass pollen, HAL Allergy B.V, Leiden,
Netherlands) and 29 subjects in the placebo group monitored for three years. The patients
were required to record each use of anti-allergy medication in a diary and use a visual
graphic scale. The main outcome measure was the area under the curve (AUC) for the combined
symptom and medication score (SMS).