METHODS: A prospective observational study was conducted of children and adults diagnosed with house dust mite allergic rhinitis who were treated with sublingual immunotherapy from 2008 to 2012. Total Nasal Symptom Scores, Mini Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life scores and medication usage scores were assessed prospectively.
RESULTS: Thirty-nine patients, comprising 24 children and 15 adults, were studied. Total Nasal Symptom Scores and Mini Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life scores dropped significantly at three months into therapy, and continued to improve. Medication usage scores improved at one year into immunotherapy.
CONCLUSION: Sublingual immunotherapy with house dust mite extracts, including B tropicalis, is efficacious as a treatment for patients with house dust mite allergic rhinitis.
METHOD AND ANALYSIS: A randomized, nonblinded, controlled trial will be carried out by recruiting a total of 66 eligible allergic rhinitis patients who fulfill the inclusion criteria from a university health center. The subjects will be randomly assigned into 2 groups: intervention group receiving facial candling treatment and control group (no treatment given). Samples of blood and nasal mucus will be collected right before and after intervention. Samples collected will be analyzed. The primary outcomes are the changes in the level of SP in both blood and mucus samples between both groups. The secondary outcomes include the levels of inflammatory mediators (ie, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin (IL)-3, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-13) and the severity of allergic rhinitis symptoms as measured by a visual analogous scale and QoL using the Rhinitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ).
ETHICAL AND TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study protocols are approved from the Ethical and Research Committee of the Universiti Teknologi MARA (REC/113/15). The trial is registered under the Australia New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ACTRN12616000299404). The trial was registered on 03/07/2016 and the first patient was enrolled on 10/12/2016.
CONCLUSION: Facial candling is one of the unique treatments using candles to reduce the severity of symptoms and inflammation. This is the first ever study conducted on facial candling that will give rise to new knowledge underlying the effects of facial candling on severity of symptoms and inflammation relief mechanism mediated by substance P and inflammatory mediators.
OBJECTIVE: We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of 1.8% SPHNSI and 0.9% commercial isotonic nasal saline irrigation (0.9% CINSI) in patients with AR.
METHODS: A randomised, single-blinded, placebo-controlled trial was performed as a pilot study. Seventy-eight patients with AR were included. Each patient was randomised to nasal irrigation with 80 mL of either 1.8% SPHNSI or 0.9% CINSI twice-daily for 4 weeks. Randomised codes were generated using a computer and a block of 4 procedure. The primary outcome was improvement of quality of life scores in Thai patients with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (Rcq-36). Secondary outcomes were clinical symptoms using total nasal symptom scores (TNSS) and adverse events. All outcomes were assessed by blinded assessors at baseline, week 2, and week 4.
RESULTS: At week 4, nasal irrigation with 1.8% SPHNSI had significantly improved the Rcq-36 score (54% versus 50%; p < 0.032) and congestion symptom score (96% versus 84%; p < 0.018) compared to nasal irrigation with 0.9% CINSI. Adverse events were comparable for both groups at week 4.
CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study indicates that regular use of 1.8% SPHNSI in AR patients for 4 weeks is safe and has superior efficacy to 0.9% CINSI for alleviating congestion and improving quality of life scores.