Immunological Analysis of Lymph Node Tissue After Intralymphatic Immunotherapy: A Prospective Case Control Study

Allergy is a public health problem as more than 20% of western society is affected by it. Symptomatic treatment of allergy suffices with less severe allergy. Patients with more severe allergy should be treated with allergen immunotherapy (AIT). Present options of AIT are efficient but of long duration, associated with side effects and require much time from the patient. With Intralymphatic immunotherapy (ILIT), allergen is injected into the lymph node under ultrasound guidance. ILIT is complete after 3 treatment visits, may be more effective than and may have markedly fewer side effects than presently available methods of AIT. The investigators plan a randomized, parallel group, open-label, prospective case-control study to assess immunological changes in lymph node and peripheral blood after intralymphatic (ILIT) or subcutaneous (SCIT) immunotherapy with POLVAC. The intervention consists of one ultrasound-guided injection of allergen into inguinal lymph node or subcutaneous injection 1 cm next to the lymph node. Intervention quality (accuracy of injection) will be assessed by the administering physician during treatment and via video recording on the ultrasound device. Side effects associated with treatment will be recorded by the patients for 3 days after the injection. The effect of intralymphatic or subcutaneous injection on lymph node tissue and immunoglobulins E and G4 in serum as well as cellular analyses of lymph node tissue and peripheral blood will be determined in samples taken during the trial. The primary effect parameter is the effect of a single intralymphatic allergen injection on immunological parameters as well as allergen delivery to the lymph node as compared with a single subcutaneous injection.