Sunday, August 31, 2008

New Treatment for Bee Sting Allergy Tested

Sublingual Immunotherapy for Large Local Reactions Caused by Honeybee Sting: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial
The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Volume 122, Issue 1, Pages 44-48 (July 2008)

Background: Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) proved effective and safe in respiratory allergy, and thus its use in hymenoptera allergy can be hypothesized.

Objective: We sought to assess, in a proof-of-concept study, whether SLIT might potentially be beneficial in hymenoptera allergy. The sting challenge in large local reactions (LLRs) was used to test this hypothesis...

Conclusion: Honeybee SLIT significantly reduced the extent of LLRs, and its safety profile was good. Although LLRs are not an indication for immunotherapy, this proof-of-concept study suggests that SLIT in hymenoptera allergy deserves further investigation. Trials involving systemic reactions and dose-ranging studies are needed.

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