Year-Round Allergic Rhinitis Associated with Recurrent Acute Respiratory and Recurrent chronic Herpes virus Infections: clinical Effectiveness of Targeted Interferon and Immunomodulating Therapy
An increase in the number of immunocompromised patients with year-round allergic rhinitis (YAR) is recorded annually, which is primarily associated with dysregulatory processes in local and systemic antimicrobial immune defense, defects in the functioning of the interferon system (IFN) on a base of an emerging Th2-dependent type of immune response. The treatment of patients suffering from YAR with recurrent ARVI (rARVI) and recurrent chronic herpesvirus infections (rCHVI) due to these disorders is a particular problem, since it has been convincingly shown that any episode of ARVI or exacerbation (rCHVI) aggravates the course and increases the frequency exacerbations of YAR, which leads to a prolonged, severe course of an allergic disease. The study group included 33 patients, aged 23-60 years, 14 men, 19 women, with different phenotypes of allergic rhinitis, rARVI and rCHVI. A comprehensive allergological and immunological study was carried out, mono- and combined defects in the functioning of the interferon system, various violations of antiviral immune defense were identified. Simultaneously with the classical antiallergic therapy of YAR with topical corticosteroids and 2nd generation antihistamines, patients were additionally underwent a program of combined interferon and immunotherapy developed on the basis of an immunological study: local and systemic interferon therapy with recombinant IFN-α-2b in combination with antioxidants (Viferon), targeted immunomodulatory therapy - 10-day courses of Likopid (glucosaminylmuramyl dipeptide), in alternation with short 10-day courses of Imunofan (hexapeptide). The purpose of the developed program was to restore the main violations of antiviral immune defense, regression of the imbalance in interferon system. The developed program of combined interferon and immunotherapy had a confirmed positive clinical efficacy: control over YAR symptoms was restored, the frequency of rARVI episodes and exacerbations of rCHVI was reduced, and the need for basic pharmacotherapy decreased.