2 Dose Optimizing Study of a Depigmented Polymerized Allergen Extract of Birch Pollen by Means of Conjunctival Provocation Test

Abstracts of the XXII World Allergy Congress, 4–8 December, 2012 Cancún, Méxicos of the XXII World Allergy Congress, 4–8 December, 2012 Cancún, México ORAL ABSTRACT SESSION ALLERGEN IMMUNOTHERAPY 1 1 Ultra-Rush Specific Immune Therapy with Depigmented and Polymerized Allergen Extracts is Effective and Safe in Patients With Severe SAR Highly Sensitized against Pollen Allergens Michaela Gruber, and Ulrich Amon, MD. PsoriSol Clinic for Dermatology & Allergy, Hersbrcuk, Germany. Background: Procedures for specific immune therapy (SIT) vary widely. We were interested whether a pre-seasonal ultra-rush treatment with depigmented and polymerized allergen extracts is effective and safe in patients with severe SAR. Methods: 31 pts (21 f, 10 m, mean age 39.7 years, range: 17–69 years) with severe SAR and partial asthma attacks (31.3%) during pollen season (mean total IgE level 152 kU/L, range: 5–5113 kU/L; mean Phadia CAP class 3.7 and 3.5 against birch pollen and Bet v1, resp.; mean Phadia CAP class 3.7 and 3.3 against grass pollen and Phl p1,5, resp.) were treated with an ultrarush schedule receiving the maximum dose of 0.2 plus 0.3 mL of a allergen extract (DepiQuick, Novartis, Germany) on day one, followed by further injecting the maximum dose of 0.5 mL at weekly intervals for 5 weeks. Patients were interviewed by a questionnaire 2 months after the pollen season. Results: 75.8% of patients reported a good or very good effect of SIT with respect to their symptoms during the pollen season after having received only one cycle of ultra-rush SIT; 18.4 did not notice any effect after the first cycle; one patient reported an increase of symptoms. 56.5% of patients did use less anti-allergic medication in comparison with their mean need before SIT; in 18.8% the need of medication was comparable to the year before. In 77.8% of all cases ultra-rush SIT was well tolerated subjectively. Local swelling at the injection site was reported in 25.9% (immediate) and 42.4% (delayed); 4 patients felt a mild discomfort after injection with pruritus, fatigue, or dizziness, respectively. The systemic symptoms disappeared spontaneously without medication. Conclusions: Even for patients with clinically severe SAR and high specific sensitization against birch or grass pollen the pre-seasonal ultra-rush SIT regimen with depigmented, polymerized allergen extracts showed a good efficacy and tolerability. 2 Dose Optimizing Study of a Depigmented Polymerized Allergen Extract of Birch Pollen by Means of Conjunctival Provocation Test Angelika Sager, MD, and Margitta Worm. Medical Department, LETI Pharma GmbH, Witten, Germany; Dermatology, Charite University Clinic,