The purpose of this study is to determine whether early childhood exposure to common allergens (substances that can trigger allergies and asthma) can prevent the development of asthma in children at high risk for developing the disease.
Researchers suspect that allergies to common inhaled allergens (such as house dust mite, cat dander, and grass pollens) are a major cause of childhood asthma. Recent evidence suggests that if allergies to inhaled allergens are prevented, this can cause changes in the immune system that may inhibit the development of asthma. Although strategies to prevent allergies generally focus on avoiding the allergen, complete avoidance of the common allergens linked to asthma would require extreme measures and is impractical. Oral mucosal immunoprophylaxis (OMIP) therapy is an allergy treatment that can induce long-lasting immune tolerance in people already suffering from allergies. By exposing the patient to small, repeated, but increasing doses of the problem allergen over a long period of time, the patient's immune system is eventually desensitized to that particular allergen. OMIP therapy has been shown to be safe in children as young as 2 years old. This study will evaluate if OMIP therapy against common inhaled allergens is safe and effective in preventing the development of asthma in children at high risk for developing the disease. Children enrolled in this study have been diagnosed with eczema or food allergies and have a family history of eczema, allergic rhinitis, or asthma. There are two groups in this study. The experimental arm participants will receive OMIP therapy (a mixture of house dust mite, cat, and timothy grass allergens) as daily oral drops under the tongue for 1 year; Placebo arm participants will receive an allergen free placebo solution. Participants will be followed for an additional 3 years to see whether they develop allergies or asthma and to determine how OMIP affects their immune system's response to allergens. There will be 5 study visits in the first year and 6 visits over the next 3 years. At all visits, participants will be assessed for allergy/asthma symptoms, will be asked to complete questionnaires, and may be asked to provide blood or saliva samples.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
51
OMIP consists of a mixture of allergen extracts including 0.2 milliliters (mL) timothy grass, 0.2 mL cat, and 0.2 mL house dust mite for a total daily dose of 0.6 mL.
The placebo consists of three 0.2 mL vials of solution mixed together for a total daily dose of 0.6 mL.
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
New York, New York, United States
Royal Children's Hospital
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Telethon Institute for Child Health Research
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Number of Participants With Allergic Sensitization at Month 36 Status Post Treatment Completion
Allergic sensitization is defined as a positive serum allergen specific Immunoglobulin E (IgE) CAP test\[1\] or a positive allergy skin prick test\[2\]. Not experiencing allergic sensitization is the better outcome for this measure. 1. A positive serum allergen specific IgE CAP (ImmunoCAP) test result is defined by a result \>= 0.35 kU/L. Higher scores indicate greater allergic sensitization. 2. A positive skin prick test is defined as a wheal diameter that is 3 mm larger than that produced by a negative control. Higher wheal sizes indicate greater allergic reaction or sensitization.
Time frame: Three years (36 months) after Treatment Completion
Number of Participants With Current Asthma at Month 36 Status Post Treatment Completion
Participants who currently have asthma three years after end of treatment. Asthma is defined as three distinct episodes of wheeze after the first year of life, each of which lasts 3 or more consecutive days and occurs in a clinical setting where asthma is likely and other likely conditions have been excluded. Episodes must be separated by at least 7 days without wheeze. Current asthma is defined as a diagnosis of asthma and at least one episode of wheeze lasting 3 or more consecutive days in the past 12 months.
Time frame: Three years (36 months) after Treatment Completion
Time to First Onset of Asthma
Time to first onset of asthma is the time from the day a participant is randomized and initiates study treatment to the diagnosis of the first of three episodes of asthma. Asthma is defined as three distinct episodes of wheeze after the first year of life, each of which lasts 3 or more consecutive days and occurs in a clinical setting where asthma is likely and other likely conditions have been excluded. Episodes must be separated by at least 7 days without wheeze.
Time frame: From Treatment Initiation to Month 36 Status Post Treatment Completion
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