***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: Twenty-six patients were recruited for a study of the safety and efficacy of immunotherapy with IPG .  They were r and omly assigned to two groups based on skin test titrations to grass allergens . One group was treated in a double-blind fashion before the 1982 grass season with 12 weekly injections totaling approximately 48,000 PNU , and the other group was treated with 12 weekly injections of caramelized glucose histamine placebo . Daily symptom and medication score sheets were completed by all patients each day of the grass season . Blocking antibody rose ninefold in the IPG group ( p less than 0.007 ) but was unchanged in the placebo group . There was no significant change in IgE against rye grass group I in either the IPG or the placebo group . Symptom-score mean in the IPG group was 217 + /- 71 ( S.E.M. ) , statistically lower ( p less than 0.02 ) than the mean in the placebo group 496 + /- 117 ( S.E.M. ) . There were no systemic reactions and only minor local reactions . There was no change in routine laboratory tests in either group . Although two prior studies with grass allergen immunotherapy reported efficacy , these studies did not use symptom-score analysis . This is the first double-blind , histamine placebo-controlled study of grass immunotherapy that demonstrates efficacy by symptom-score index evaluation .  IPG is a safe , clinical ly effective , and potentially cost-effective therapy for grass pollinosis BACKGROUND Sublingual immunotherapy with liquid extracts provides an appealing alternative to subcutaneous immunotherapy for the treatment of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis ( ARC ) , but a lack of robust evidence has deterred its use in North America . OBJECTIVE To determine the efficacy and tolerability of st and ardized glycerinated short ragweed sublingual allergen immunotherapy liquid ( RW-SAIL ) extract in subjects with ragweed-related ARC . METHODS This phase 3 , r and omized , placebo-controlled trial was conducted in North America . Subjects ( age range , 18 - 55 years ) with or without asthma were selected based on ARC symptom severity and erythema skin prick reaction to short ragweed . Subjects self-administered the maximum tolerated dose of RW-SAIL ( n = 218 ) or placebo ( n = 211 ) daily beginning approximately 8 to 16 weeks before and through the end of the ragweed pollen season . The primary end point was subject-assessed total combined daily rhinoconjunctivitis symptom and medication scores ( TCS ) . RESULTS During the entire season , there was a 43 % decrease in TCS in subjects treated with RW-SAIL compared with placebo . Similar decreases were observed in TCS between the 2 groups during peak season ( 42 % ) and in daily symptom scores during the entire ( 42 % ) and peak ( 41 % ) seasons . The occurrence of adverse events was similar between the treatment groups ; most were mild in severity . Treatment-related oromucosal local application site reactions occurred early and were transient and self-limited . No anaphylaxis occurred . CONCLUSIONS This is the first successful North American confirmatory phase 3 clinical trial to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of a sublingual st and ardized ragweed allergen immunotherapy liquid extract for the treatment of ARC Background : The clinical efficacy and safety of a  six‐grass pollen allergoid  has been studied . The advent of more exacting clinical guidelines and a better appreciation of the possible mechanisms of treatment prompted this re appraisal Immunotherapy with polymerized ragweed ( PRW ) has been demonstrated to be safe and effective when compared with monomeric ragweed or untreated controls . To further establish the efficacy of PRW , a trial was conducted comparing PRW , placebo , and no treatment in ragweed-sensitive individuals . In a double-blind manner , 21 patients were treated before the 1981 ragweed season with 15 weekly injections of PRW totaling about 50,000 PNU and 1200 microgram antigen E , while 19 patients were treated with 15 weekly injections of a caramelized glucose and histamine placebo . An additional control group received no injections . Blood was drawn for IgE against ragweed antigen E ( IgE-a-AgE ) and for blocking antibody against AgE before treatment , after treatment ( before season ) , and after season . In the untreated patients , blood was drawn before season and after season . Daily symptom score sheets were completed by patients each day of the ragweed season . Blocking antibody rose more than 40-fold with treatment ( p = 0.0001 ) in the PRW group but was unchanged in the placebo group with treatment . IgE-a-AgE rose with PRW therapy . Clinical efficacy of PRW was again confirmed in this study . Symptom score mean in the PRW group was statistically lower than the mean in the placebo group ( p = 0.022 ) and in the untreated group ( p = 0.018 ) . There were no systemic reactions and only minor local reactions during treatment . In summary , PRW is an improved form of immunotherapy BACKGROUND There have been no data on sublingual immunotherapy ( SLIT ) in Brazilian patients sensitized to house dust mites . This study aim ed to evaluate the mucosal/systemic antibody response changes and clinical efficacy after SLIT using Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus ( Dpt ) allergens with or without bacterial extracts in mite-allergic Brazilian children . METHODS Patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma were selected for a double-blind , placebo-controlled trial r and omized to three groups : DPT ( Dpt extract , n = 34 ) , DPT+MRB ( Dpt plus mixed respiratory bacterial extracts , n = 36 ) , and Placebo ( n = 32 ) . Total symptom and medication scores for rhinitis/asthma , skin prick test ( SPT ) to Dpt , and measurements of Dpt- , Der p 1- , Der p 2-specific serum IgE , IgG4 , IgG1 , and specific salivary IgA were evaluated at baseline and after 12 and 18 months of treatment . RESULTS A significant long-term decline in total symptom/medication scores was observed only in active groups ( DTP and DPT+MRB ) . There was no significant change in SPT results in all groups . SLIT using Dpt allergen alone induced increased levels of serum IgG4 to Dpt , Der p 1 , and Der p 2 , serum IgG1 and salivary IgA to Dpt and Der p 1 . SLIT with Dpt plus bacterial extracts was able to decrease IgE levels , particularly to Der p 2 , to increase salivary IgA levels to Der p 1 , but had no changes on specific IgG4 and IgG1 levels . CONCLUSIONS All children undergoing SLIT showed clinical improvement , but a long-term reduction in symptom/medication scores with modulation of mucosal/systemic antibody responses were seen only in active groups ( DPT and DPT+MRB ) BACKGROUND The efficacy and safety of the 300-index of reactivity ( IR ) dose of 5-grass-pollen sublingual immunotherapy ( SLIT ) tablets ( Stallergènes , Antony , France ) have been demonstrated for the treatment of hay fever in adults . OBJECTIVE We sought to assess the efficacy and safety of this tablet in children and adolescents with grass pollen-related allergic rhinitis . METHODS In this multinational , r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled study , 278 children ( 5 - 17 years of age ) with grass pollen-related rhinoconjunctivitis ( confirmed by means of a positive grass pollen skin prick test response and serum-specific IgE measurement ) received once-daily SLIT tablets or placebo . Treatment was initiated 4 months before the estimated pollen season and continued throughout the season . The primary outcome was the rhinoconjunctivitis total symptom score ( RTSS ) , a sum of 6 individual symptom scores : sneezing , runny nose , itchy nose , nasal congestion , watery eyes , and itchy eyes . Secondary end points included rescue medication intake , individual scores , and safety . RESULTS The intent-to-treat population included 266 children ( mean age , 10.9 + /- 3.22 years ) . The RTSS for the 300-IR group was highly significantly different from that of the placebo group ( P = .001 ) . The 300-IR group showed a mean improvement for the RTSS of 28.0 % over that seen with placebo and a median improvement of 39.3 % . Significant differences between the 300-IR and placebo groups were also observed regarding rescue medication score and proportion of days using rescue medication during the pollen season ( P = .0064 and P = .0146 , respectively ) . Adverse events were generally mild or moderate in intensity and expected . No serious side effects were reported . CONCLUSION Five-grass-pollen SLIT tablets ( 300 IR ) reduce both symptom scores and rescue medication use in children and adolescents with grass pollen-related rhinoconjunctivitis This work presents a double-blind , placebo-controlled study of 27 patients with allergic rhinitis to ragweed who received preseasonal desensitization immunotherapy [ IT ] with alum-precipitated aqueous ragweed extracts .  We reassessed the following parameters in relation to clinical responses : clinical scores , nasal reactivity to a provocative dose of ragweed causing a 75 % fall in airflow rate ( PD75 ) , ragweed IgE and IgG , and ragweed-induced basophil histamine release ( BHR ) . First , the nasal PD75 correlated with the severity of nasal symptoms ( p less than 0.05 ) . Second , we confirmed a significant symptomatic improvement in the IT-treated group either by clinical scores ( p less than 0.05 ) or the prevention of the seasonal fall of the PD75 ( p less than 0.005 ) . Also , IT reduced the seasonal rise of IgE ( p less than 0.02 ) and induced an increase in IgG ( p less than 0.01 ) and a decrease in BHR ( p less than 0.03 ) . There was a significant correlation between IgE and BHR ( r = 0.80 ; p less than 0.01 ) . After selecting out the effects of IgE , the BHR was still higher in the placebo-treated group than in the IT-treated group ( p less than 0.02 ) , suggesting the involvement of other modulating factors . Symptomatic improvement after IT correlated only with the summation of both IgE and BHR ( PD75 ; r = 0.64 ; p less than 0.005 ) . This observation suggests that the severity of clinical symptoms is determined by several interacting factors and not by the antibody response alone Background : Data supporting a carry‐over effect with sublingual immunotherapy ( SLIT ) are scarce . This r and omized , double‐blind , placebo‐controlled study evaluated the efficacy , carry‐over effect and safety of grass pollen SLIT using co‐seasonal treatment The present work reports the results of a double‐blind clinical trial , comparing the effects of hyposensitization treatment versus placebo in 33 patients with allergic rhinitis , sensitive to a crude extract of the pollen of four different grasses ( Dactylis glamerata , Lolium perenne , Secale cereale , and Phlewn pratense ) . The distribution of these patients in the two groups was done r and omly and gave two comparable groups , as far as clinical and biological features are concerned . The treatment course included five low doses of the aqueous extract followed by 12 injections of Al(OH)3‐adsorbed aliquots of the same extract . Evaluation of the clinical scores was based on diary cards on which symptoms and medications were recorded . A reevaluation of the significance of the symptom and medication scores is presented and the link between both scores is studied . Particular attention is given to the method ological and statistical problems raised during this study . The non‐parametric tests reveal a significant difference ( P < 0.03 ) in the total clinical score between the treated and the placebo groups for the second half of the observation period , when the pathology was most intense BACKGROUND The safety and efficacy of specific immunotherapy for mold allergy are not known in children and adolescents . OBJECTIVE We evaluated the efficacy and safety of specific immunotherapy with a st and ardized allergen extract in a r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled , 3-year prospect i ve study of patients who were allergic to only Alternaria alternata . METHODS Fifty children and adolescents ( 25 girls ; 5 - 18 years of age ) with A alternata-induced seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and /or bronchial asthma were r and omly assigned to groups given treatment ( Novo-Helisen Depot , A alternata 100 % ) or placebo . The primary end point was the combined symptom medication score . Secondary end points included safety , quality of life , and sensitivity to allergen-specific nasal challenge . RESULTS Forty-five children completed the 3-year study . Although there was no significant change in year 1 , the combined symptom medication score decreased in years 2 and 3 of the study ( by 38.7 % and 63.5 % , respectively ; P < .001 for each ) . The reduction in symptoms was associated with a significant improvement in quality of life ( P < .05 ) and decrease in sensitivity after allergen-specific nasal challenge . Side effects were observed in 7 patients ; the most common ( edema at the 
    Output:
    
There was in comparison a more modest body of evidence on effectiveness post-discontinuation of AIT , suggesting a benefit in relation to symptom scores .
AIT is effective in improving symptom , medication , and combined symptom and medication scores in patients with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis while on treatment , and there is some evidence suggesting that these benefits are maintained in relation to symptom scores after discontinuation of therapy