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Evaluation of immunotherapy by nasal antigen challenge
R Cengizlier1, Y Saraçlar, N Tomaç
1Department of Pediatric Allergy, Social Security Children's Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Background:
Nasal antigen challenge test is used to evaluate the allergic conditions within different diagnostic procedures.
Objective:
This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of immunotherapy (IT) in an objective and simple way in children with perennial allergic rhinitis.
Method:
This study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled procedure. Nineteen patients (mean age 10 +/- 6 years) were treated only with IT and 17 patients (mean age 11 +/- 5 years) constituted the control group without any treatment. The patients were evaluated at the beginning and at 3 and 6 months of IT. Nasal provocation reactions were evaluated and scored at 5-, 10-, and 30-minute intervals.
Results:
In the IT group, mean clinical scores and mean nasal provocation scores decreased significantly between the initial value and at 3 and 6 months of IT, whereas there was no significant change in the value for the control group. There were no significant differences among the 5-, 10-, 15-, and 30-minute evaluations within both the IT and control groups.
Conclusion:
The efficacy of IT in perennial allergic rhinitis may be assessed by the nasal antigen challenge test in a simple and objective way within a 5-minute period.