Allergy & Asthma Issues: Summer 2009
 Immunotherapy could provide relief for large local reactions to insect stings
If you're part of the 10% of adults who experience large local reactions to stings from insects like bees, wasps and yellow jackets, relief may be in sight. A recent study funded by the National Institutes of Health and published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology found that venom immunotherapy prevents large local reactions to insect stings in people whose reactions were frequent and severe. Currently, venom immunotherapy is only available to people who are at risk of life-threatening allergic reactions to insect stings.
Twenty-nine people were enrolled in the study. Each person was tested for skin reactions to venom stings. Nineteen study patients then began to receive immunotherapy shots while the remaining 10 served as controls. Sting challenges were repeated after 7 to 11 weeks and annually thereafter for up to 4 years. The authors found that after 7 to 11 weeks of treatment, the size and duration of large local reactions decreased 42% and 53%, respectively, in treated patients and 18% in the control group. The response in the treatment group was similar after 1 year and improved after 2 to 4 years to 60% and 70% respectively.
The study findings show that venom immunotherapy may be an option for people who experience frequent and severe sting reactions. However, additional studies are needed to establish the safety and efficacy of venom immunotherapy for this group of individuals.
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