RISK OF STING POST VENOM IMMUNOTHERAPY

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. It has previously been reported that when venom immunotherapy is discontinued after 5 years or more, the risk of a sting reaction remains less than 10% in the first few years after stopping treatment. Some investigators have studied discontinuation of therapy after only 3 years, but have suggested restrictions such as younger patients, milder reactions, and negative sting challenge during therapy or negative RAST. The results of this study will show whether patients can safely stop therapy after only 3 years instead of our current recommendation of 5-6 years, and whether the risk of reaction remains acceptably low in the 10 years after stopping therapy. Also, we will determine whether there is a lower risk in those patients with a less severe history of reaction before treatment or in those who have developed negative skin tests, and/or RAST. We continue to follow our plan of stinging more patients each year. This year we had 1 patient participate in a sting challenge, resulting in a local reaction only. The result again continues to demonstrate the excellent outcome after discontinuing venom immunotherapy.