Abstract
Since 1965, polypeptide derived from urine of allergic patients (MS-antigen, abbreviated as MS-A) has been used for the treatment of allergic diseases and excellent results have been obtained. We have experienced 9 cases (4 infants and 5 adults) that showed conversion of skin test results to negative after the treatment. We reported this finding in the 22nd General Meeting of Japanese Society of Allergology.
We have investigated the mechanism of these conversions of skin test results.
Since 1987, we have selected subjects randomly from patients with nasal allergy, especially Japanese cedar pollinosis treated with intramuscular injection of MS-A and compared the results of skin tests and specific IgE antibody titer (RAST) determined before the treatment with those obtained during the treatment.
When MS-A was intramuscularly injected twice a week at 40mg/time for 30-80 times, it was revealed that the thresholds in skin test with Japanese cedar pollen, orchard grass, house dust, etc. increased and there were even cases with conversion of skin test results to negative. Simultaneously, the value of the corresponding specific IgE antibody decreased gradually to become negative (down regulation of specific IgE antibody) and the RAST score became 1 or 0.
MS-A is considered to be a useful therapy for the radical cure of allergic diseases involving type I allergy reaction when it will be used for a relatively long time.
