TY  - JOUR
A1  - Eitel, Tamara Rebecca
A1  - Zeiner, Kim Nikola
A1  - Aßmus, Katharina
A1  - Ackermann, Hanns
A1  - Zöller, Nadja Nicole
A1  - Meissner, Markus
A1  - Kaufmann, Roland
A1  - Kippenberger, Stefan
A1  - Valesky, Eva Maria
T1  - Impact of specific immunotherapy and sting challenge on the quality of life in patients with hymenoptera venom allergy
T2  - World Allergy Organization Journal
N2  - Background: An experienced life-threating anaphylactic reaction to hymenoptera venom can sustainably impair patients’ quality of life (QoL). Besides carrying emergency medication, venom-specific immunotherapy (VIT) exists as a causal treatment of allergy.
Objective: This study aimed to examine QoL, anxiety, depression, and physical and mental health in patients allergic to hymenoptera venom before and during VIT and the impact of a tolerated sting challenge (SC).
Methods: Between July 2017 and August 2017, 142 patients with venom allergy were analyzed using validated questionnaires as the: Vespid Allergy Quality for Life Questionnaire" (VQLQ-d), the "Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale" (HADS-D) and the "Short Form 36" (SF-36). To evaluate the impact of VIT and SC on the QoL, patients were divided into 3 groups: (A) VIT and tolerated SC (n = 45), (B) VIT before carrying out SC (n = 73), and (C) therapy-naïve before VIT (n = 20). Further parameters like gender, age, insect species, and severity of the anaphylactic reaction were assessed.
Results: A significant correlation between the health-related QoL and the parameters of gender and state of treatment was seen. Especially male patients, as well as patients allergic to yellow jacket venom, benefit from a SC in terms of a significant increase in their QoL. In the total study cohort, a clear trend was observed towards a higher QoL in patients under VIT who tolerated a SC. Overall, neither the patients’ age nor the insect species exerted a relevant influence on QoL, depression or anxiety. However, women showed a lower QoL combined with higher anxiety and depression scores than men.
Conclusion: Immunotherapy leads to an improved QoL, which can be further increased by a SC. A tolerated SC conceivably reassures the patients by objectifying the treatment success. Female patients appear to have a stronger impaired QoL per se. Taken together, a SC can be performed during VIT to strengthen the patients’ QoL.
KW  - Hymenoptera venom allergy
KW  - Immunotherapy
KW  - Sting challenge
KW  - Quality of life
Y1  - 2021
UR  - http://publikationen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/77908
UR  - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-779082
SN  - 1939-4551
VL  - 14
IS  - 5, art. 100536
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - Amsterdam
ER  -