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Immunotherapy in bee sting hypersensitivity. Bee venom versus wholebody extract
Allergy
|December 1, 1979
Summary
Bee venom (BV) immunotherapy is more effective than whole-body extract (WBE) for treating bee sting hypersensitivity. BV therapy resulted in significantly fewer reactions and better serological markers compared to WBE.
Area of Science:
- Allergy and Immunology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Bee sting hypersensitivity poses significant health risks.
- Current treatments include bee venom (BV) and whole-body extract (WBE) immunotherapy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the clinical efficacy and serological outcomes of BV immunotherapy versus WBE immunotherapy in patients with confirmed bee sting hypersensitivity.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving 56 patients with bee sting hypersensitivity.
- Patients received either BV or WBE immunotherapy for 1-3 years.
- Clinical reactions upon re-exposure and serological markers (specific IgE and IgG) were monitored.
Main Results:
- 75% of patients on BV therapy showed no reaction upon re-exposure, compared to 25% on WBE therapy.
- BV therapy led to a marked increase in BV-specific IgG and a decrease in IgE, while WBE therapy showed less favorable serological changes.
- Patients with high baseline IgG levels showed no IgE increase with BV therapy.
Conclusions:
- Immunotherapy with bee venom (BV) is clinically and serologically superior to whole-body extract (WBE) for managing bee sting hypersensitivity.
- BV immunotherapy demonstrates better efficacy in reducing allergic reactions and modulating specific antibody responses.