Current Studies of Bronchial Asthma Treated with House Dust Hyposensitization

抄録

Hyposensitization therapy for asthmatics is widely used in Japan. In this study, we report the status of house dust hyposensitization in Fujigaoka Hospital during the last 16 years. We investigated the number of asthmatics who received house dust hyposensitization from 1975 to 1990, especially in 1983 and 1987. For 1983, we examined the efficacy and clinical course of that therapy in 89 patients. The number of asthmatics visiting our department has gradually increased, but the number of asthmatics receiving hyposensitization has decreased in the last 8 years. The therapy was received by only 30 patients (33%) from 1983 to 1990, and 59 patients discontinued therapy because their condition improved. Anti-allergic drugs were mostly used after therapy discontinuation. Hyposensitization efficacy was 75%. The results for 1987 were nearly the same as for 1983. House dust hyposensitization has been one of the most effective therapies against bronchial asthma, but the number of asthmatics who receive that treatment is decreasing because anti-allergic drugs are now becoming equally effective.