@article{ref1,
title="Efficacy and safety of hymenoptera venom immunotherapy",
journal="Allergy and asthma proceedings",
year="2024",
author="Kayikci, Hazal and Bostan, Ozge Can and Tuncay, Gulseren and Cihanbeylerden, Melek and Damadoglu, Ebru and Karakaya, Gul and Kalyoncu, Ali Fuat",
volume="45",
number="4",
pages="268-275",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Being stung by Hymenoptera species can cause life-threatening anaphylaxis. Although venom immunotherapy (VIT) seems to be the most effective treatment, its long-term efficacy, and risk factors for adverse events remain unclear. <br><br>OBJECTIVE: The objective was to investigate the long-term efficacy of VIT and evaluate adverse events and risk factors related to this. <br><br>METHOD: Patients who received VIT in a tertiary-care adult allergy clinic between January 2005 and July 2022 were included. Patients' data were compared with those of individuals who had been diagnosed with bee and/or wasp venom allergy during the same period but had not received VIT and experienced field re-stings. <br><br>RESULTS: The study included 105 patients with venom allergy, of whom 68 received VIT and 37 did not receive VIT. Twenty-three patients (34%) completed 5 years of VIT, and the overall mean ± standard deviation VIT duration was 46.9 ± 20.9 months. Re-stings occurred in 5 of 23 patients who completed 5 years of VIT, and none of them developed a systemic reaction. Eighteen patients (40%) experienced re-stings after prematurely discontinuing VIT, of whom eight (44%) developed a systemic reaction. In the control group of patients who did not receive VIT, 26 patients (70.3%) experienced re-stings, and all had systemic reactions (100%), with no change in their median Mueller scores. There was a significant difference in the median Mueller score change between the patients who received VIT and the controls who did not (p = 0.016). A total of 13 patients (19%) experienced adverse events while receiving VIT, which were systemic reactions in nine honeybee VIT. The use of β-blockers was determined as the most important risk factor (odds ratio 15.9 [95% confidence interval, 1.2-208.8]; p = 0.035). <br><br>CONCLUSION: It was confirmed that VIT was effective in both reducing the incidence and the severity of re-sting reactions. These effects were more pronounced in the patients who completed 5 years of VIT.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1088-5412",
doi="10.2500/aap.2024.45.240035",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.2500/aap.2024.45.240035"
}