Mechanisms of allergen immunotherapy
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An open study to investigate the effects of injection immunotherapy on allergen-specific T and B cell responses in adult patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis.
IRAS ID
99192
Contact name
Michael Tarzi
Sponsor organisation
Research & Development, Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust
Eudract number
2012-000594-24
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Research summary
Hay fever (seasonal allergic rhinitis) results from allergy to grass and tree pollen. The majority of affected individuals manage well with medication from the Pharmacy or from their GP, but for some severely affected people it severely impacts on quality of life. Less than 40% of those affected in UK general practice feel that these medications achieve good symptomatic control. Specific immunotherapy or desensitisation is the practice of administering small amounts of allergen to allergic patients in increasing doses. This treatment is highly effective in these patients and furthermore is truly disease-modifying, with benefits persisting long-term, even when the treatment has been completed. Desensitisation is a routine treatment in the UK, Europe and North America. The exact immune mechanisms that underlie this symptomatic improvement are not entirely clear. Dr Tarzi, Professor Frew and Professor Kern have recently developed new methods for the investigation of immune responses to allergens. These methods require relatively small blood samples and may provide useful information about how immunotherapy exerts its effects. In addition to improving our basic understanding of this treatment, such knowledge may drive improvements in the treatment and could be useful for monitoring patients for response. Our study proposes to investigate changes in the immune responses to pollen allergens during immunotherapy. Blood will be taken just prior to the first immunotherapy injection and again just prior to the final injection. In this way we will be able to compare the immune responses to pollen allergen before and after treatment.
REC name
London - Westminster Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
12/LO/0306
Date of REC Opinion
19 Mar 2012
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion