Clinical Efficacy of Allergen-Specific Immunotherapy from Patient and Physician Perspectives.
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ABSTRACT: Purpose
Allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) is the only curative treatment for allergic diseases, but a few allergic patients receive AIT. In this multicenter cross-sectional study, we aimed to explore patient and physician perspectives on AIT through a questionnaire survey.Materials and methods
Allergic patients who received subcutaneous immunotherapy for at least 1 year were asked to answer a questionnaire developed by an expert panel of allergen and immunotherapy workgroup in Korea.Results
A total of 267 patients (adults, 60.3%) with allergic rhinitis (91.4%), asthma (42.7%), or atopic dermatitis (20.2%) from referred hospitals completed the survey. Among patients and physicians, respectively, the overall rates of satisfaction with AIT for allergic rhinitis were 86.4% and 83.3% (kappa agreement=0.234, p<0.001), and those for asthma were 85.3% and 72.9% (kappa agreement=0.373, p<0.001). Moreover, pediatric asthmatic patients reported a significantly higher satisfaction rate than adult asthmatic patients after AIT (p=0.040). Symptom severity (p<0.001, respectively) and drug use for allergic rhinitis and asthma decreased after AIT. However, there was no significant difference in satisfaction rates between children and adults in allergic rhinitis (p=0.736). Interestingly, 35.7% and 35% of allergic rhinitis and asthma patients, respectively, reported experiencing improvement in their symptoms within 6 months of starting AIT.Conclusion
In this study evaluating the perspectives of patients and physicians on AIT, the majority of patients were satisfied with the efficacy and safety of AIT, but not its cost. AIT should be recommended for AR and allergic patients.
SUBMITTER: Shin YS
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6479127 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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| S-EPMC5647984 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background:The Allergy Patient Identification for Immunotherapy (AsPIRe) program was a parallel physician and patient survey. The objectives were to examine physician and patient perceptions of seasonal allergy symptoms and their impact on patients, and to examine patient and physician attitudes to allergen immunotherapy (AIT) for seasonal allergies. AsPIRe was led by a steering committee and received research ethics board clearance from Queen's University. Methods:Allergists (17) from across Canada enrolled in the AsPIRe program and completed an on-line survey to collect demographic information and baseline perceptions. Allergists then recruited patients and completed paper-based parallel physician and patient questionnaires. Patients received an AIT informational booklet with their questionnaire. Patients who were AIT-naïve with no contraindication to AIT and 12 years of age and older met the inclusion criteria. Results:The survey was in field from February 2018 to June 2018. A total of 141 allergist surveys and 136 patient surveys were completed. Mean age of patients was 30 years old (range 12-70). Fifty-seven percent of patients reported prior knowledge of AIT. Seventy-two percent of patients reported seasonal allergies of longer than 5 years duration and in this subset of patients, 46% were at their first allergist visit. Seventy-three percent of all patients indicated they would be likely or very likely to try sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT), if recommended by their allergist compared to 36% for subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT). Conversely, 10% of patients reported they would be unlikely or very unlikely to try SLIT compared to 46% of patients who would be unlikely or very unlikely to try SCIT if recommended by their allergist. Conclusions:In this particular study cohort, there was a gap in perception between allergists and their patients as to the impact of allergy symptoms on daily life. Patients reported being more frequently impacted vs. their physician's assessment. When asked about preference for AIT options, Canadian patients reported they were more likely to follow their allergists' recommendation for initiation of SLIT compared to SCIT.
| S-EPMC7035743 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundExtending medical assistants and nursing roles to include in-visit documentation is a recent innovation in the age of electronic health records. Despite the use of these clinical scribes, little is known regarding interactions among and perspectives of the involved parties: physicians, clinical scribes, and patients.ObjectiveThe purpose of this project is to describe perspectives of physicians, clinical scribes, and patients regarding clinical scribes in primary care.DesignWe used qualitative content analysis, using Interpretive Description of semi-structured audio-recorded in-person and telephone interviews.ParticipantsParticipants included 18 physicians and 17 clinical scribes from six healthcare systems, and 36 patients from one healthcare system.Key resultsDespite physician concerns regarding terminology within notes, physicians, clinical scribes, and patients perceived more detailed notes because of real-time documentation by scribes. Most patients were comfortable with the scribe's presence and perceived increased attention from their physicians. Clinical scribes also performed more active roles during a patient visit, leading to formation of positive scribe-patient relationships. The resulting shift in workflow, however, led to stress. Our theoretical model for successful physician-scribe teams emphasizes the importance of interpersonal aspects such as communication, mutual respect, and adaptability, as well as system level support such as training and staffing.ConclusionsBoth interpersonal fit between physician and scribe, and system level support including adequate training, transition time, and staffing support are necessary for successful use of clinical scribes. Future directions for research regarding clinical scribes include study of care continuity, scribe medical knowledge, and scribe burnout.
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Project description:The results of our third trial on epicutaneous allergen-specific immunotherapy (EPIT) will be presented and discussed in the context of our previous trials. This monocentric, placebo-controlled, double-blind phase I/IIa trial included 98 patients with grass pollen rhinoconjunctivitis. Prior to the pollen season 2009, patients received six patches (allergen extract: n = 48; placebo: n = 50) with weekly intervals, administered onto tape-stripped skin. Allergen EPIT produced a median symptom improvement of 48% in 2009 and 40% in the treatment-free follow-up year 2010 as compared to 10% and 15% improvement after placebo EPIT (P = 0.003). After allergen EPIT but not placebo EPIT, conjunctival allergen reactivity was significantly decreased and allergen-specific IgG4 responses were significantly elevated (P < 0.001). In conclusion, our three EPIT trials found that allergen EPIT can ameliorate hay fever symptoms. Overall, treatment efficacy appears to be determined by the allergen dose. Local side-effects are determined by the duration of patch administration, while risk of systemic allergic side-effects is related to the degree of stratum corneum disruption.
| S-EPMC4654258 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The purpose of the review is to summarize and comment on recent developments regarding the safety of engineered immunotherapy vaccines.In the last 2 years, several studies were published in which allergy vaccines were developed on the basis of chemical modification of natural allergen extracts, the engineering of allergen molecules by recombinant DNA technology and synthetic peptide chemistry, allergen genes, new application routes and conjugation with immune modulatory molecules. Several studies exemplified the general applicability of hypoallergenic vaccines on the basis of recombinant fusion proteins consisting of nonallergenic allergen-derived peptides fused to allergen-unrelated carrier molecules. These vaccines are engineered to reduce both, immunoglobulin E (IgE) as well as allergen-specific T cell epitopes in the vaccines, and thus should provoke less IgE and T-cell-mediated side-effects. They are made to induce allergen-specific IgG antibodies against the IgE-binding sites of allergens with the T-cell help of the carrier molecule.Several interesting examples of allergy vaccines with potentially increased safety profiles have been published. The concept of fusion proteins consisting of allergen-derived hypoallergenic peptides fused to allergen-unrelated proteins that seems to be broadly applicable for a variety of allergens appears to be of particular interest because it promises not only to reduce side-effects but also to increase efficacy and convenience of allergy vaccines.
| S-EPMC4594771 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundAllergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) is the only curative treatment for type-1 allergies, but sometimes shows limited therapeutic response as well as local and systemic side effects. Limited control of local inflammation and patient symptoms hampers its widespread use in severe allergic asthma.ObjectiveOur aim was to evaluate whether AIT is more effective in suppression of local inflammation if performed under the umbrella of short-term non-specific immunomodulation using a small molecule inhibitor of JAK pathways.MethodsIn C57BL/6J mice, a model of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic airway inflammation and allergen-specific immunotherapy was combined with the administration of Tofacitinib (TOFA, a FDA-approved JAK inhibitor) from 48 hours prior to 48 hours after therapeutic OVA-injection. The effect of TOFA on human FOXP3+CD4+ T cells was studied in vitro.ResultsAIT combined with short-term TOFA administration was significantly more effective in suppressing total cell and eosinophil infiltration into the lung, local cytokine production including IL-1β and CXCL1 and showed a trend for the reduction of IL-4, IL-13, TNF-α and IL-6 compared to AIT alone. Furthermore, TOFA co-administration significantly reduced systemic IL-6, IL-1β and OVA-specific IgE levels and induced IgG1 to the same extent as AIT alone. Additionally, TOFA enhanced the induction of human FOXP3+CD4+ T cells.ConclusionsThis proof of concept study shows that JAK inhibition did not inhibit tolerance induction, but improved experimental AIT at the level of local inflammation. The improved control of local inflammation might extend the use of AIT in more severe conditions such as polyallergy, asthma and high-risk patients suffering from mastocytosis or anaphylaxis.
| S-EPMC5453633 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe application of allergen immunotherapy (AIT) in combination with biological agents has been found to increase both the safety and efficacy of the desensitisation procedure in patients with food and insect venom allergy. The aim of our study was to compare the effectiveness of AIT in patients with house dust mite (HDM)-driven asthma treated with and without omalizumab.Materials and methodsThe study was a placebo-controlled, three-armed, randomised, parallel-group, multicentre trial that included 52 patients with HDM-driven asthma. Only patients with monosensitisation to HDM were included. The study compared three patterns of therapy: omalizumab alone, HDM subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT-HDM)+ omalizumab, and SCIT alone. The main outcomes were evaluate the Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) score, number of asthma exacerbations and reduction in the daily dose of inhaled steroids during 12 months of observation.ResultsAll variants of therapy led to significantly improved ACQ scores and reduction of asthma exacerbations in all study groups after 12 months of treatment. A statistically significant reduction in the daily doses of inhaled corticosteroids in the group with omalizumab alone (650±150 µg versus 500±50 µg for p=0.003) or SCIT-HDM+omalizumab (550±250 µg versus 375±75 µg for p=0.001) was observed, favouring the latter group.ConclusionThe efficacy of AIT for HDM-driven asthma is significantly increased by the combination of allergen vaccine with omalizumab.
| S-EPMC10107063 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Oral immunotherapy (OIT) has been considered a promising approach for food allergies (FAs). However, the current OIT strategy is limited in terms of the long-term efficacy and safety. We have previously demonstrated that kakkonto, a traditional Japanese herbal medicine, suppresses the occurrence of allergic symptoms in a murine model of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced FA, which is attributed to the induction of the Foxp3+ CD4+ regulatory T cells. In this study, we established an OIT model using the FA mice with already established allergic symptoms and determined whether kakkonto could improve the efficacy of OIT. The OIT method consisted of initially administrating a very small amount of OVA and slowly increasing the amount. Allergic symptoms decreased in the OIT-treated FA mice. OIT significantly downregulated Th2 immune response-related gene expression in the FA mouse colon, and decreased a level of mouse mast cell protease-1, a marker of mast cell degranulation in the FA mouse plasma. Furthermore, the concomitant use of kakkonto significantly enhanced the effectiveness of OIT on the allergic symptoms, the Th2 immune responses and the mast cell degranulation in the OIT-treated FA mice. In addition, OIT significantly increased the population of Foxp3+ CD4+ regulatory T cells in the FA mouse colon, and this population was further increased by OIT in combination with kakkonto. Furthermore, the combined therapy with kakkonto reduced the expression of RA-degrading enzyme CYP26B1 mRNA in the FA mouse colon. These findings indicated that the combination of OIT with kakkonto represents a promising approach for FA treatment.
2016-12-29 | GSE92339 | GEO
Project description:ObjectivesThe concept of disease control incorporates independent disease characteristics that are longitudinally reflective of disease status and which can be used to make treatment decisions. Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a chronic condition for which the determination of disease control by both the patient and the treating physician is important. Our objectives were to determine CRS disease characteristics that are associated with patient-reported and physician-rated CRS disease control.Study typeCross-sectional.MethodsA total of 209 participants were prospectively recruited. Participants were asked to rate their global level of CRS control as "not at all," "a little," "somewhat," "very," and "completely." All participants completed a 22-item Sinonasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) and also reported the number of sinus infections, CRS-related antibiotic courses taken, CRS-related oral corticosteroid courses taken, and missed days of work or school due to CRS, all in the last 3 months. Clinical and demographic characteristics were also collected from each participant. A Lund-Kennedy endoscopy score was calculated for each participant from nasal endoscopy. Two rhinologists were then given each participant's SNOT-22 score (as well as SNOT-22 nasal, sleep, otologic/facial pain, and emotional subdomain scores), endoscopy score, and the number of sinus infections, CRS-related antibiotics, CRS-related oral corticosteroid courses and missed days of work or school due to CRS in the preceding 3 months as reported by the patient. The two rhinologists were blinded to all other participant characteristics and each rhinologist independently rated every participant's global control level as "not at all," "a little," "somewhat," "very," and "completely." Associations were sought between CRS disease characteristics (SNOT-22 score, endoscopy score, sinus infections, CRS-related antibiotic usage, CRS-related oral corticosteroid usage, and lost productivity due to CRS) and patient-reported CRS control as well as mean physician-rated CRS control.ResultsPatient-reported global CRS control was associated only with SNOT-22 (adjusted relative risk [RR]?=?0.99, 95% CI: 0.98-0.99, P?<?.001) but no other CRS disease characteristic. Patient-reported CRS control was specifically associated only with nasal symptoms and not extra-nasal symptoms of CRS. Physician-rated CRS control was associated with SNOT-22 score (adjusted RR [for each 1-unit increase of SNOT-22]?=?0.99, 95% CI: 0.98-0.99, P?<?.001), number of acute bacterial CRS exacerbations-reflected by number of antibiotic courses taken (or sinus infections)-in the last 3 months (adjusted RR?=?0.89, 95% CI: 0.82-0.98, P?=?.014) and the number of CRS-related oral corticosteroid courses taken in the last 3 months (adjusted RR?=?0.87, 95% CI: 0.78-0.97, P?=?.012). Nasal, sleep, and otologic/facial pain symptoms were all associated with physician-rated CRS control. Having used at least one course of antibiotics or oral corticosteroids in the last 3 months was the optimal threshold for detecting poorly controlled CRS.ConclusionsPatients and physicians use different criteria to determine the level of CRS control. While both rely on the burden of CRS symptomatology, patients consider primarily nasal symptoms while physicians include nasal and extra-nasal symptoms of CRS in determining CRS control. Physicians also independently consider CRS-related antibiotic use, as a reflection of acute bacterial CRS exacerbations, and CRS-related oral corticosteroid use in the determination of global CRS control.Level of evidence2c.
| S-EPMC6302712 | biostudies-literature