Biomedical subjects

A Hejjaoui

Publications and source records attributed to A Hejjaoui.

21 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1987

Double-blind, placebo-controlled immunotherapy with mixed grass-pollen allergoids. I. Rush immunotherapy with allergoids and standardized orchard grass-pollen extract.

Forty-five grass pollen-allergic patients were randomly assigned to three groups according to their skin test and RAST sensitivities and the severity of seasonal rhinitis. Eleven patients were treated with placebo (group 1), 19 patients (group 2) were treated with a six-mixed grass-pollen allergoid prepared by mild formalinization with a two-step procedure, and 15 other patients were treated with a standardized orchard grass-pollen extract (group 3). Because of a different immunotherapy schedule, only patients placed in groups 1 and 2 received the extracts in a double-blind fashion. Rush immunotherapy was performed in 3 to 6 days, and the maintenance dose was subsequently administered weekly for 4 weeks and every 2 weeks until the end of the grass-pollen season. During the season, a coseasonal treatment was administered. Systemic reactions occurred during the rush protocol in 36.8% of patients treated with allergoid and 20% of patients who received the standardized extract. Only patients treated with allergoid had systemic reactions during maintenance dose. The reactions observed with the standardized extract were more severe. Total doses of allergoid ranged from 2350 to 13,500 protein nitrogen units. Symptoms and medication scores during the peak of the season were analyzed. Patients treated with the standardized allergen had a significant reduction of the number of days of symptoms during the month of June (9.5 +/- 6.7 days; p less than 0.005) and of medication scores (1.3 +/- 1.4; p less than 0.01) compared to patients receiving placebo (19.4 +/- 8.1 days; medication score, 2.8 +/- 2.1).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Allergens↗

PubMed1987

Double-blind, placebo-controlled immunotherapy with a high-molecular-weight, formalinized allergoid in grass pollen allergy.

Specific immunotherapy is effective in grass pollen allergy with standardized extracts and formalinized allergoids; but systemic reactions are not uncommon. A high-molecular-weight (greater than 85,000 daltons), formalinized allergoid was investigated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study to assess its safety and efficacy. Twenty patients received a placebo and 39 the allergoid using a rather aggressive protocol. Five patients developed a mild and transient systemic reaction with high doses of allergoid and one had a more severe reaction requiring treatment. Nasal challenges performed with orchard grass pollen grains showed that the threshold number of grains eliciting nasal symptoms was significantly (p less than 0.01) greater in the treated group. This group had significantly (p less than 0.01) less nasal symptoms during the season and specific IgG levels were significantly (p less than 0.01) elevated. There was a significant (p less than 0.01) correlation between nasal challenges and nasal symptoms during the season but no correlation between IgG and symptoms. There was no dose-dependent effect of allergoids.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1985

Immunotherapy with a standardized Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus extract. I. In vivo and in vitro parameters after a short course of treatment.

Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dp) is the major allergen in allergic asthma in France. Standardized and lyophilized Dp extracts are available, and their effectiveness after a short course of rush immunotherapy was examined in a placebo-controlled, double-blind study. Twenty patients received the Dp standardized extract, and 10 other patients received a placebo extract. Before and 7 weeks after rush immunotherapy, in vivo and in vitro parameters were examined. Bronchial provocation tests performed in a standardized manner demonstrated that a provocative dose causing a 20% fall in FEV1, a 25% fall in maximum mild expiratory flow rate, a 25% fall in maximum flow when 50% of the forced vital capacity has been expired, and a 35% fall in specific airway conductance were significantly (p less than 0.005 to p less than 0.01, Wilcoxon W test) improved in the treated group and remained unchanged in the placebo group. Skin test titration demonstrated that patients placed in the treated group had a significant (p less than 0.001, Wilcoxon W test) decrease of both end point titer and size of the largest wheal. No significant difference was observed in the placebo group. Serum Dp-IgE did not vary significantly in either group. Serum Dp antigen P1-IgG was significantly (p less than 0.001, Wilcoxon W test) increased in the treated group and slightly increased in the placebo-treated group. This study demonstrated that a Dp standardized extract administered by a rush protocol elicits a rapid and significant immune response and leads to a significant protection of the patients.

Adult↗