Pre-seasonal immunotherapy is effective in both monosensitized and polysensitized patients with allergic rhinitis

Background. The effectiveness of pre-seasonal allergoid immunotherapy in polysensitized patients is not well-known. The aim of this study was to com-pare the clinical efficacy and immunological changes of pre-seasonal allergoid immunotherapy in mono and polysensitized patients with grass pollen allergy. Methods. 46 patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis undergoing pre -season-al grass pollen immunotherapy and 28 cases followed by conventional drug treatment were included. These groups were divided into monosensitized and polysensitized ones. All patients were followed between March-September with symptom-medication scores, and visual analogue scale. The quality of life was assessed using the Mini-RQLQ questionnaire. Phleum pratense spe-cific IgE and IgG4 measurements were performed before and after 7 weeks of immunotherapy. Results. In the immunotherapy group, 15th weekly symp-tom-medication scores and VAS scores between May and August were found to be significantly lower than those in the control group (p < 0.05). Phl p specific IgE and IgG4 levels were significantly higher after immunotherapy compared to those before immunotherapy (p = 0.001). Furthermore, Phl p specific IgG4 levels after immunotherapy were also significantly higher than in the control group (p = 0.001). Improvements in activities-practical prob-lems and non-nose/eye symptoms quality of life scores were significantly differ-ent between two groups (p < 0.05). There was no difference in terms of clin-ical and immunological parameters in mono and polysensitized patients (p > 0.05). Conclusions. Clinical improvement with pre-seasonal grass pollen immunotherapy is accompanied by important increase in specific IgG4 block-ing antibodies. A single-allergen immunotherapy can lead to similar clinical efficacy and immunological changes in polysensitized as well as monosensi-tized patients with grass pollen allergy.