[Specific immunotherapy in patients with bronchial asthma hypersensitive to housedust mites].

An efficacy and effects of immunotherapy (IT) on skin and bronchial reactivity, and serum levels of some immunoglobulins in mite asthma patients were evaluated. A usefulness of some tests was assessed additionally. The studies were carried out on 37 asthmatics. Thirty of them were treated with Alutard SQ and 7 were observed as a control group for a period of 24 months. During the successive visits to the clinic the following examinations were carried out: physical examination, checking patient diary cards, skin prick tests, PS test and blood samples were taken for determination of IgE, sIgE Dpt, sIgG4 Dpt. Specific and nonspecific bronchial hyperactivity (BHR) were evaluated before, after 1 year and 2 years of IT. The obtained results evidenced a clinical improvement, a reduction of other antiasthmatic drugs consumption, decreases in serum IgE and sIgE Dpt levels and increases in serum sIgG4 Dpt levels. The changes in humoral response did not correlate with the clinical improvement. At the successive visits were needed higher concentrations of allergen to cause the positive allergic reaction in PS test. The reductions in specific and nonspecific DHR during IT were observed. The bronchial allergen challenge test seems to be a very valuable method in monitoring of IT in asthma patients.