203 Long-Term Clinical Efficacy of Immunotherapy in Rhino-Conjunctivitis with Pollen Extract

BACKGROUND: Evaluate long-term clinical efficacy 2 years after suspension of specific immunotherapy in patients with seasonal rhino-conjunctivitis. METHODS: During 5 years in a pre-seasonal period an extract of 7 grass pollens by sub cutaneous route (SCIT) was administered to a group of 16 patients with moderate and severe rhino-conjunctivitis, monosensitised to grass pollens. The mean age of the patients was 27.1 years, with homogeneous sex distribution. After the terminus of SCIT the group was followed during 2 more years to evaluate symptomatology and the use of rescue medication, during pollen season. We have compared this group with another group who did not perform SCIT. All patients received weekly information about forecasts and grass pollens count in their residential area. An informatics sheet was used to evaluate daily 4 degrees of 6 parameters including nasal and eye symptoms and any use of medication used to control the disease. As statistical method ANOVA test and t test was used for analyse mean differences between the 2 groups. For correlations the Spearman method was used. RESULTS: During the immediate 2 years after SCIT in the active group, a significant reduction on symptoms (42%) as well as a reduction on the use of rescue medication (59%) were observed (P < 0.01), compared with the control group. The eye symptoms had a higher reduction than nasal symptoms after the suspension of IT. CONCLUSIONS: A significant efficacy of SCIT was verified even 2 years after the suspension of the treatment, with reduction on symptoms and on use of medication. The use of a daily score of symptoms and the use of rescue medication was very useful and confortable to the majority of the patients. Also providing regular information to patients regarding pollen count and climatic changes by electronic mail was considered useful to both groups.