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A novel therapy for atopic dermatitis with allergen-antibody complexes: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study
B P Leroy1, G Boden, J M Lachapelle
1Unit of Occupational and Environmental Dermatology, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Background:
Exposure to airborne allergens exacerbates symptoms of atopic dermatitis (AD) in hypersensitive patients.
Objective:
Our purpose was to determine whether the administration of allergen-antibody complexes would improve the symptoms of AD.
Methods:
Twenty-four adults with AD and hypersensitivity to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dpt) were treated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial by intradermal injections of complexes containing autologous specific antibodies and Dpt allergens. After 4 months, placebo-treated patients started receiving active treatment. All patients were treated for a full year. Clinical status and Dpt-specific IgG and IgE antibody levels were monitored.
Results:
Symptoms of AD subsided within a few weeks after starting therapy, with significant reduction after 4 months in treated patients only. After 1 year, 82% of the patients exhibited a mean improvement of 83%, associated with reduction of Dpt-specific IgG antibodies.
Conclusion:
The treatment of Dpt-sensitive patients with AD by injections of allergen-antibody complexes is safe and effective in a majority of patients.