چکیده (انگلیسی):

Background: Short-term oral immunotherapy (OIT) using the Cry j1-galactomannan conjugate for Japanese
cedar pollinosis may be effective and relatively safe. However, a treatment regimen has not been
established. In the present study, we examined a new OIT regimen with a build-up phase and extended
the maintenance phase of OIT to the peak period of the pollen season to enhance the therapeutic effect
and safety of OIT.
Methods: A prospective, randomized, open-label trial was conducted over a period of 4 months. Participants
were randomly divided into two groups. The OIT group comprised 23 subjects. The build-up
phase was initiated 1 month before the expected pollen season. The maintenance phase was
continued for 51 days during the peak pollen season. The control group comprised 24 subjects. The
symptoms and medication score, levels of allergen-specific serum antibodies throughout the pollen
season, and adverse effects with OIT were evaluated.
Results: Participants receiving OIT showed significant improvements in total symptom scores, medication
score, and total symptom-medication scores throughout the pollen season compared with the
control group. The levels of allergen-specific serum IgG4 were significantly increased in the OIT group
but not in the control group throughout the cedar pollen season. Importantly, no severe adverse effects
were observed with OIT.
Conclusions: The new regimen of short-term OIT using the Cry j1-galactomannan conjugate for Japanese
cedar pollinosis is effective, relatively safe and induces immune tolerance. Thus, OIT using allergen
egalactomannan conjugates may provide a rapid, effective, and thus convenient immunotherapy for
pollinosis instead of SLIT or SCIT.