Venom Immunotherapy in Patients: Clinical Characteristics, Treatment Outcomes, and Real-Life Safety Data.

Abstract

Objectives: Venom-specific immunotherapy is recognized as the gold standard treatment for honey bee and wasp venom allergies. This study aims to evaluate the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients diagnosed with honey bee and wasp venom allergies who commenced immunotherapy.

Methods: This study encompasses data from 43 patients who presented with honey bee and wasp venom allergies at Ondokuz Mayis University and initiated venom immunotherapy (VIT). We retrospectively examined the patients' demographic characteristics, history of atopic diseases, allergy history, characteristics of honey bee and wasp venom stings, severity of reactions, laboratory values, administered treatments, and side effects.

Results: Among the 43 patients included in our study, 9 (20.9%) were female, and 34 (79.1%) were male. A history of atopic disease was present in 34.8% of the patients, and a family history in 51.1%. The severity of systemic reactions was evaluated according to Müller's classification, with grade 4 reactions being the most frequent (48.8%). Of the 43 patients who received VIT, 28 (65.1%) were treated for Apis mellifera, 9 (20.9%) for Vespula vulgaris, and 6 (14%) for both species. Twelve patients experienced side effects during VIT, leading to discontinuation in two cases due to patients' reluctance to continue. The remaining 22 patients, who were stung again during or after completing VIT, experienced milder systemic reactions.

Conclusion: This study delineates the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with honey bee and wasp venom allergies, highlighting the efficacy of VIT treatment. Despite the occurrence of side effects related to VIT, both previous studies and our findings suggest that these side effects are not more severe than systemic reactions resulting from stings. The absence of severe systemic reactions in patients who were stung again during or after receiving VIT underscores the effectiveness of the immunotherapy.