RINKEL INJECTION THERAPY - A MULTI-CENTER CONTROLLED-STUDY

[摘要] A 2 yr double-blind multicenter study compared the effect of Rinkel injection therapy (RIT) with a histamine placebo in [human] subjects with atopic rhinitis. Accumulated data included the symptom, medication and physical examination scores and specific IgE antibody levels measured by the radioallergosorbent test (RAST). A total of 155 subjects (81 treated, 74 placebo) entered the project from 6 centers during their respective ragweed, grass and mountain cedar pollen (from 1 center) seasons for 11 pollen seasons. The total mean cumulative dose of extract was 18.6 PNU [protein N units], which is much lower than recommended for standard immunotherapy. With 1 exception, none of the centers reported a consistent significant difference between the pollen extract-treated and placebo-treated groups in any of the weekly mean scores or the RAST before, during and after the pollen seasons. For 4 wk after the height of the mountain cedar season the group treated with pollen extract showed a significant decrease in weekly mean symptom and medication scores compared with the placebo group. The overall comparison of the mean seasonal scores for the entire study showed no significant difference between the treated and placebo groups. The RIT apparently is no more effective than a histamine placebo in influencing the weekly mean symptom, medication and physical examination scores or IgE antibody levels.