Leukocyte histamine release and humoral changes during oral and subcutaneous hyposensitization of grass pollen allergic children.

Thirty-one children with seasonal hay fever, sensitive to rye grass by skin test, RAST, and leukocyte histamine release, received preseasonal hyposensitization with a rye grass pollen extract either subcutaneously (cumulative dose 40,000 PNU) or orally (cumulative dose 400,000 PNU). While there was a significant (p less than 0.005) increase in specific serum IgG-antibodies and a decrease (p less than 0.005) of leukocyte sensitivity in the subcutaneously treated group, oral treatment with an aqueous pollen extract could not be demonstrated to be immunologically effective.