INVESTIGATIONS ON THE LONG-TERM EFFECT OF HYPOSENSITIZATION TREATMENT IN PATIENTS ALLERGIC TO INSECT VENOMS

For more than 12 years we have used the regimen of rush desensitization with followed by 3 years care and treatment in a doctor's office in more than 2500 patients. A great number of hyposensitized patients have reached the status >>after therapy<< and thus we wanted to follow up some questions: 1. How many patients, who finished therapy, were stung in field by bees or wasps and what were the clinical reactions? 2. Is there a relation between the reactions to stings and serological parameters like specific IgE and IgG? 3. Which conclusions can be drawn concerning the long term effect of therapy? 336 patients participated in this study. 131 (39%) of them experienced a new insect sting after the end of therapy. 120 of these patients tolerated stings without any allergic reaction, only 11 patients had symptoms according to grade II-IV according to Mueller. 3 of them had stopped therapy before reaching the recommended 3 years of treatment. All patients showed an elevated level of specific IgE during the whole time. There was no difference between responders and nonresponders to stings concerning the interval (e.g. 1 or 5-7 years) after finishing therapy. We conclude that hyposensitization with pure insect venoms, practicised lege artis, results in a longlasting very effective protection.