OBJECTIVETo compare the efficacy and safety of subcutaneous immunotherapy with dermatophagoides pteronyssinus standardized extract given in conventional and cluster immunotherapy schedules for persistent allergic rhinitis.

METHODSOne hundred and ten patients with moderate to severe allergic rhinitis caused by dust mites, in accordance with the immunotherapy inclusion criteria, were allocated to receive conventional immunotherapy as group A (n = 57) or cluster immunotherapy as group B (n = 53). In group A, 7 cases were lost to follow-up, the expulsion rate of group A was 12.28%; in group B, 1 case was lost to follow-up, the expulsion rate of group B was 1.89%. Nasal symptom scores, medicine scores and mini rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire (Mini RQLQ) were recorded and compared before and after 7 weeks, 15 weeks, 1.0 year, 1.5 years, 2.0 years. All the scores were assessed to evaluate the clinical efficacy, and also the incidence of local and systemic adverse reactions were registered to evaluate the safety. SPSS 19.0 software was used to analyze the data.

RESULTSNasal symptom scores, medicine scores and Mini RQLQ of both groups were significant lower than those before the treatment (all P < 0.05). Mini RQLQ and nasal symptom scores in cluster group (0.55 ± 0.21,0.57 ± 0.27) were more significantly declined than the conventional group after 7 weeks and 2.0 years of observation (all PMini RQLQ<0.05;nasal symptom scores: 1.41 ± 0.65, 0.83 ± 0.30, t value was 11.344, 5.649, both P < 0.05). The clinical efficiency rate in cluster group (86.5%, 94.2%) were more significantly highter than those (60.0%, 80.0%) in the conventional group after 7 weeks and 2 years of observation (χ(2) value was 9.224, 4.642, both P < 0.05). The medicine scores in cluster group (0.11 ± 0.04) was more significantly declined than conventional group (0.47 ± 0.11) after 7 weeks (t = 27.665, P < 0.05). The incidence of local and systemic adverse reactions during the incremental-dose phase and maintenance-dose phase compared with conventional immunotherapy were not significantly different (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe cluster immunotherapy is a safe treatment method which is more effective and faster than conventional immunotherapy to the dust mites caused allergic rhinitis.