BACKGROUND: Allergen immunotherapy is a major therapeutic modality in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. However, with T-cell activation potential, its role in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was theoretically limited. OBJECTIVE: To report the results of allergen immunotherapy in a patient with HIV treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). METHODS: A 44-year-old man with a history of HIV did not respond to medical therapy for allergic rhinitis. His HIV status was well controlled with HAART. Owing to the severity of his allergic rhinitis symptoms, he accepted the risk of allergy immunotherapy despite the unknown effect of immunotherapy in patients with HIV. RESULTS: After 6 weeks of weekly immunotherapy injections, his viral load remained undetectable and his CD4 cell count changed from 540 to 570 cells/microL. After 16 weeks of weekly immunotherapy, his viral load increased to 10,900 copies/mL, and his CD4 cell count increased to 665 cells/microL. After 24 weeks of weekly immunotherapy, his viral load returned to an undetectable level, and his CD4 cell count stabilized at 356 cells/microL. Despite his notable change in HIV status, he continues to receive the same HAART. He currently continues en route to maintenance immunotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of allergen immunotherapy on HIV infection has not been previously reported. A concern remains that any form of immunotherapy may negatively affect HIV disease progression. This case illustrates that weekly allergen immunotherapy may have induced limited T-cell proliferation and a modest increase in RNA viral load, which resolved with continuation of HAART.
BACKGROUND: Allergen immunotherapy is a major therapeutic modality in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. However, with T-cell activation potential, its role in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was theoretically limited. OBJECTIVE: To report the results of allergen immunotherapy in a patient with HIV treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). METHODS: A 44-year-old man with a history of HIV did not respond to medical therapy for allergic rhinitis. His HIV status was well controlled with HAART. Owing to the severity of his allergic rhinitis symptoms, he accepted the risk of allergy immunotherapy despite the unknown effect of immunotherapy in patients with HIV. RESULTS: After 6 weeks of weekly immunotherapy injections, his viral load remained undetectable and his CD4 cell count changed from 540 to 570 cells/microL. After 16 weeks of weekly immunotherapy, his viral load increased to 10,900 copies/mL, and his CD4 cell count increased to 665 cells/microL. After 24 weeks of weekly immunotherapy, his viral load returned to an undetectable level, and his CD4 cell count stabilized at 356 cells/microL. Despite his notable change in HIV status, he continues to receive the same HAART. He currently continues en route to maintenance immunotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of allergen immunotherapy on HIV infection has not been previously reported. A concern remains that any form of immunotherapy may negatively affect HIV disease progression. This case illustrates that weekly allergen immunotherapy may have induced limited T-cell proliferation and a modest increase in RNA viral load, which resolved with continuation of HAART.
Authors: Oliver Pfaar; Tobias Ankermann; Matthias Augustin; Petra Bubel; Sebastian Böing; Randolf Brehler; Peter A Eng; Peter J Fischer; Michael Gerstlauer; Eckard Hamelmann; Thilo Jakob; Jörg Kleine-Tebbe; Matthias Volkmar Kopp; Susanne Lau; Norbert Mülleneisen; Christoph Müller; Katja Nemat; Wolfgang Pfützner; Joachim Saloga; Klaus Strömer; Peter Schmid-Grendelmeier; Antje Schuster; Gunter Johannes Sturm; Christian Taube; Zsolt Szépfalusi; Christian Vogelberg; Martin Wagenmann; Wolfgang Wehrmann; Thomas Werfel; Stefan Wöhrl; Margitta Worm; Bettina Wedi; Susanne Kaul; Vera Mahler; Anja Schwalfenberg Journal: Allergol Select Date: 2022-09-06
Authors: Giorgio Walter Canonica; Linda Cox; Ruby Pawankar; Carlos E Baena-Cagnani; Michael Blaiss; Sergio Bonini; Jean Bousquet; Moises Calderón; Enrico Compalati; Stephen R Durham; Roy Gerth van Wijk; Désirée Larenas-Linnemann; Harold Nelson; Giovanni Passalacqua; Oliver Pfaar; Nelson Rosário; Dermot Ryan; Lanny Rosenwasser; Peter Schmid-Grendelmeier; Gianenrico Senna; Erkka Valovirta; Hugo Van Bever; Pakit Vichyanond; Ulrich Wahn; Osman Yusuf Journal: World Allergy Organ J Date: 2014-03-28 Impact factor: 4.084
Authors: Oliver Pfaar; Claus Bachert; Albrecht Bufe; Roland Buhl; Christof Ebner; Peter Eng; Frank Friedrichs; Thomas Fuchs; Eckard Hamelmann; Doris Hartwig-Bade; Thomas Hering; Isidor Huttegger; Kirsten Jung; Ludger Klimek; Matthias Volkmar Kopp; Hans Merk; Uta Rabe; Joachim Saloga; Peter Schmid-Grendelmeier; Antje Schuster; Nicolaus Schwerk; Helmut Sitter; Ulrich Umpfenbach; Bettina Wedi; Stefan Wöhrl; Margitta Worm; Jörg Kleine-Tebbe; Susanne Kaul; Anja Schwalfenberg Journal: Allergo J Int Date: 2014