Evaluation of Preseasonal Immunotherapy in Patients with Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis

The aim of the present study was to evaluate clinical and laboratory efficacy of short term preseasonal immunotherapy by comparing immunot herapy (IT) and medical treatment administered to patients diagnosed with seasonal allergic rhinitis (AR). Patients were randomized into two groups: ie those who use preseasonal immunotherapy and drugs according to their need (IT group:12 patients ) or those who use only drugs according to need (medical treatment group:13 patients ). In IT groups treatments comprised preseasonal weekly injections with grass+cereale pollen allergoid (Allergovit 015). In addition to demographic characteristics of patients, (age, sex) , eye, nose and respiratory symptoms ,medication scores in pollen season, before and after treatment, questionnaire on quality of life, general health condition, sensitivity to aeroallergens via skin prick test and metacolin bronchoprovocation (BPT) results were recorded. Posttreatment, total, nasal, eye symptom scores and mean medication scores of IT groups was significantly lower than those of only medical treatment group, (p<0,01), while there was no difference between groups in terms of respiratory symptoms. ( p=0,247). When two treatment groups were compared with regard to changes in quality of life, it was established that changes in medical treatment groups were less in four parameters (activity, nose, eye, social) except for sleep and emotional factors and in overall evaluation. In patients in IT group, it was observed at the end of pollen season that there was significant decrease in polen skin reactivity in enduration (p<0,01). In addition, when changes in FEV1 were compared after BPT, it was determined that changes in FEV1 were more marked in IT group, but the difference was not statistically significant. In conclusion, it can be suggested that IT administered before season is a reliable and efficient method in seasonal AR, which decreases symptom and drug scores and skin reactivity and increases quality of life and partly supresses bronchial hyperreactivity. However, further studies are required which will evaluate the efficacy of IT in later periods of immunization.