TY - JOUR
T1 - Maintenance immunotherapy in ragweed hay fever. Booster injections at six week intervals
AU - Norman, Philip S.
AU - Winkenwerder, Walter L.
AU - Lichtenstein, Lawrence M.
N1 - Funding Information:
From the Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University and Hospital. Supported by Grants AI 04866 and AI 08270 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health. Eeceived for publication Nov. 24, 1970. *Eecipients of Research Career Development Awards from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
PY - 1971/5
Y1 - 1971/5
N2 - In the immunotherapy of hay fever with pollen extracts, when treatment is temporarily discontinued after a course of weekly injections, the decline of blocking antibodies as measured by inhibition of leukocyte histamine release takes many months. The practice of giving booster injections in perennial immunotherapy every 2 or 3 weeks therefore appears unnecessary. To test this hypothesis, a schedule of perennial treatment with boosters at 6 week intervals was tried in a group of ragweed hay fever patients who had previously been treated with preseasonal injections for 2 or more years. Over two years, 8 injections a year (omitting an injection during the season) maintained and perhaps even augmented both clinical improvement and blocking antibody levels without problems caused by untoward reactions.
AB - In the immunotherapy of hay fever with pollen extracts, when treatment is temporarily discontinued after a course of weekly injections, the decline of blocking antibodies as measured by inhibition of leukocyte histamine release takes many months. The practice of giving booster injections in perennial immunotherapy every 2 or 3 weeks therefore appears unnecessary. To test this hypothesis, a schedule of perennial treatment with boosters at 6 week intervals was tried in a group of ragweed hay fever patients who had previously been treated with preseasonal injections for 2 or more years. Over two years, 8 injections a year (omitting an injection during the season) maintained and perhaps even augmented both clinical improvement and blocking antibody levels without problems caused by untoward reactions.
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U2 - 10.1016/S0091-6749(71)80005-2
DO - 10.1016/S0091-6749(71)80005-2
M3 - Article
C2 - 4102487
AN - SCOPUS:0015056660
SN - 0091-6749
VL - 47
SP - 273
EP - 282
JO - The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology
JF - The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology
IS - 5
ER -