The investigators will perform double-blinded placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial which evaluates the efficacy and safety of allergen-specific intralymphatic immunotherapy (ILIT) for allergens including Dermatophagoides farinae (Df), Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dp), cat, and dog that are sensitized and provoke rhinitis-related symptoms in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR), using allergen extracts for allergen-specific immunotherapy (Tyrosine S, Allergy Therapeutic, West Sussex, UK).
After informed consent, subjects will be randomly assigned to ILIT group or placebo group in double-blind manner. In both group, causal allergen or placebo will be injected into inguinal lymph node through guidance by ultrasonography three times with 4-week interval. In ILIT group, initial dose of allergen will be 1,000-fold diluted solution from maximal concentration of allergen extract for subcutaneous immunotherapy (Tyrosine S, Allergy Therapeutic, West Sussex, UK) in volume of 0.1ml. If skin is highly reactive in skin prick test, the initial dose will be 10-fold dilution from maximal concentration where diameter of wheal is less than that of histamine. After the first dose, allergen concentration will be escalated 3-fold at second dose, and 10-fold at third dose if there are no (or mild) local or systemic hypersensitivity reaction. The allergen concentration will not change at second or third dose if there is moderate local or systemic reaction. The allergen concentration will decrease by 10 or 100-fold from previous concentration or further injection will be held if there is severe local or systemic reaction after sufficient explanation and discussion with subjects. The investigators will evaluate allergic rhinitis symptom score before and 4, 12 months after the initial treatment. Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) and Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-20) will be used. Visual analogue scale (VAS) of symptoms including rhinorrhea, sneezing, nasal obstruction, postnasal drip, eye/nose/ear/palate itching, dyspnea, wheezing, chest discomfort as well as urticaria, angioedema, and itching on exposed skin during exposure to causal allergen in daily life will be also evaluated. Skin prick test (SPT), intradermal test (IDT), blood sampling for serum total immunoglobulin E (IgE), allergen-specific IgE, and allergen-specific immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4), nasal lavage for Th1, Th2, and Treg cytokines, and nasal provocation test (NPT) with Df and/or Dp allergen (in subjects whose AR symptoms are provoked by Df and/or Dp) will be also performed before and 4, 12 months after the initial treatment. In addition, the investigators evaluated the change of subjects' recognition of causal allergens, their avoidance, and AIT during this study. Using VAS, subjects were requested to score the rate of agreement with "Allergen provokes allergic symptoms in daily life", "Allergen avoidance can reduce allergic symptoms", "Allergen-specific Immunotherapy (AIT) can reduce allergic symptoms", "I can pay 50,000 Korean Won (KRW)/month for allergen avoidance", "I can pay 100,000 KRW/month for allergen avoidance", "I can pay 200,000 KRW/month for allergen avoidance", "I can pay 150,000 KRW for each injection of ILIT", "I can pay 300,000 KRW for each injection of ILIT", "I can pay 600,000 KRW for each injection of ILIT" before and after SPT/IDT, after NPT, 4 months and 1 year after ILIT. Adverse events will be recorded and graded according to Muller classification and Ring and Meissner classification.
0.5 ml of allergen extract from D. farinae, D. pteronyssinus, cat, and/or dog for allergen specific immunotherapy (Tyrosine S, Allergy Therapeutic, UK) will be injected into inguinal lymph node through guidance by ultrasonography three times with 4-week interval.
0.5 ml of normal saline will be injected into inguinal lymph node through guidance by ultrasonography three times with 4-week interval.
Subjects are requested to administer oral antihistamine (cetirizine) or nasal glucocorticosteroid (ciclesonide) as rescue medication for allergic rhinitis in accordance with severity and frequency of allergic rhinitis symptoms according to Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) guideline.
Gachon University Gil Medical Center
Incheon, South Korea
RQLQ
Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaires
Time frame: 4 months after the day of first injection of ILIT
SNOT-20
Sinonasal Outcome Test-20
Time frame: before and 4, 12 months after the day of first injection of ILIT
Allergic symptoms provoked by causal allergen in daily life
Rates scored by subjects using visual analogue scale regarding allergic symptoms provoked by causal allergen in daily life
Time frame: before and 4, 12 months after the day of first injection of ILIT
Rhinitis symptom in nasal provocation test
Rhinitis symptom (visual analogue scale: 0\~100) during nasal provocation test with allergen of D. farinae and/or D. pteronyssinus in subjects in whom D. farinae and/or D. pteronyssinus is causal allergen.
Time frame: before and 4, 12 months after the day of first injection of ILIT
Skin reactivity in skin prick test
Mean diameters of wheal caused by 1- to 10\^7- fold dilution of causal allergen in skin prick test and their allergen histamine ratio
Time frame: before and 4, 12 months after the day of first injection of ILIT
Skin reactivity in intradermal test
Mean diameters of wheal caused by 10\^2- to 10\^7- fold dilution of causal allergen in intradermal test and their allergen saline ratio
Time frame: before and 4, 12 months after the day of first injection of ILIT
Serum total IgE level
Serum total IgE level using ImmunoCAP (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Uppsala, Sweden)
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Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
32
Time frame: before and 4, 12 months after the day of first injection of ILIT
Allergen-specific IgE for causal allergen
Allergen-specific IgE for causal allergen of D. farinae, D. pteronyssinus, cat, and/dog using ImmunoCAP (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Uppsala, Sweden)
Time frame: before and 4, 12 months after the day of first injection of ILIT
Cytokines in nasal lavage fluid before and after nasal provocation test
Cytokines of Th1, Th2, and Treg immunity including interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-5, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, interferon-gamma (IFN-g), and tumor growth factor-beta (TGF-b) in nasal lavage fluid
Time frame: before and 4, 12 months after the day of first injection of ILIT
Subjects' score (0~100) regarding agreement to "Allergen provokes allergic symptoms in daily life"
Subjects' score regarding agreement to "Allergen provokes allergic symptoms in daily life" using visual analogue scale (0\~100).
Time frame: before skin prick test / intradermal test, nasal provocation test, and 4, 12 months after the day of first injection of ILIT
Subjects' score (0~100) regarding agreement to "Allergen avoidance can reduce allergic symptoms"
Subjects' score regarding agreement to "Allergen avoidance can reduce allergic symptoms" using visual analogue scale (0\~100).
Time frame: before skin prick test / intradermal test, nasal provocation test, and 4, 12 months after the day of first injection of ILIT
Subjects' score (0~100) regarding agreement to "Allergen-specific immunotherapy can reduce allergic symptoms"
Subjects' score regarding agreement to "Allergen-specific immunotherapy can reduce allergic symptoms" using visual analogue scale (0\~100).
Time frame: before skin prick test / intradermal test, nasal provocation test, and 4, 12 months after the day of first injection of ILIT
Willingness to pay for allergen avoidance
Agreement% scored by subjects using visual analogue scale to "I am willing to pay 50,000, 100,000 or 200,000 Korean Won per month for allergen avoidance"
Time frame: before skin prick test / intradermal test, nasal provocation test, and 4, 12 months after the day of first injection of ILIT
Willingness to pay for intralymphatic immunotherapy
Agreement% scored by subjects using visual analogue scale to "I am willing to pay 150,000, 300,000 or 600,000 Korean Won for each injection of intralymphatic immunotherapy"
Time frame: before skin prick test / intradermal test, nasal provocation test, and 4, 12 months after the day of first injection of ILIT
Nasal mucosal inflammation
Inflammatory cell count in nasal mucosal biopsy (/high power field, x400)
Time frame: before and 4, 12 months after the day of first injection of ILIT
RQLQ
Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaires
Time frame: 12 months after the day of first injection of ILIT
Nasal cavitary volume decrease in nasal provocation test
Nasal cavitary volume decrease (basal%) measured by acoustic rhinometry during nasal provocation test with allergen of D. farinae and/or D. pteronyssinus in subjects in whom D. farinae and/or D. pteronyssinus is causal allergen.
Time frame: before and 4, 12 months after the day of first injection of ILIT
Allergen-specific IgG4 for causal allergen
Allergen-specific IgG4 for causal allergen of D. farinae, D. pteronyssinus, cat, and/dog using ImmunoCAP (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Uppsala, Sweden)
Time frame: before and 4, 12 months after the day of first injection of ILIT