Methods : From 2009 to 2014, the patients with allergic airway diseases who received subcutaneous SIT with house dust mites and both allergen skin prick tests before therapy and after it on time about 1 year period were investigated for retrospective analysis. The main parameters of immunologic changes were skin reactivities(wheal ratio of allergen/histamine in skin prick test) for house dust mites ongoing immunotherapy. The numbers of positive allergen skin responses and some blood tests for eosinophil count, total IgE, ESR were collected as well.
Results : Total 58 patients were analysed, the mean ages at initial immunotherapy time were 23.3 year old (5~60), males were 34 (58.6%), allergic rhinitis only were 35 (60.3%), bronchial asthma only were 1 (1.7%), both were 22 (37.9%). The median numbers of strongly sensitized allergens among 45 aeroallergens were two items at initial phage. The mean skin reactivities for target allergens before and after 1 year immunotherapy were 2.44 (0.5~7.75) and 1.19 (0~2.92), respectively. The skin reactivity for target allergen of ongoing immunotherapy were significant reduced in younger age group(<40 years old) (p=0.45 ), the groups who had small numbers of total allergen sensitization (p<0.05), house dust mites(HDM) sensitization only rather than those of mixed with HDM and pollens(p<0.05) and high reactivity(≥ 2 on A/H ratio) of target allergens (p<0.001) at initial time. But, there were not significant different among initial immunotherapy methods(rush or conventional), underline allergic airway disease, eosinophil count, total IgE and ESR level.
Conclusion : This study suggests some clinical factors associated favorable allergen reactivity change may affect good clinical outcomes in early phase of immunotherapy.