[Pre-seasonal treatment of hayfever with a pollen depot extract (author's transl)]

90 patients with "hayfever" - that means pollenallergic diseases of the respiration tract and the eyes - were treated in spring 1974 and 1975 with a tyrosinabsorbed grass and rye depot extract with three injections before the pollen-season. Only 16 patients had an isolated grass-rye-pollen-allergy in skin test, all the other patients had additional extrinsic allergies. These results were proved by RAST. One third of the patients had bad side-effects (27 out of 90) during the treatment. 17 patients showed general reactions and ten patients very strong local reactions. We think that these side-effects were caused by contact with antigens (hairs of animals, foods, flowers of trees) during therapy and acute or chronic infections. The results of therapy were asked by a questionnaire one year after the series of injections, there were 37 improved, 32 unchanged and/or worsened in pollen-season after treatment. Nevertheless the results encouraged to continue this treatment with the grass-rye-pollen-extract. It could be used as an "initial treatment" in pollinosis patients with a wide spread allergy just before the beginning of the pollen-season. It is necessary to fullfill all procedures of precaution which are in use in hyposensitizationtherapy to prevent stronger side-effects.