Intravenous- injection of beta-1,3-glucan in human is known to induce T helper type 1 response, while oral uptake did not. It was examined whether superfine dispersed beta-1,3-glucan (SDG) contrived to absorbed by intestinal mucosa would alleviate allergic symptoms by per-oral ingestion

Beta-1,3-glucan made from Japanese mushroom is commercially available for healthy foodstuffs. Allergy patients were orally administrated either SDG (n=30) or non-dispersed beta-1,3-glucan (NDG, n=30) and allergic symptoms were assessed clinically, by the double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study

Inclusion Criteria:

• history of seasonal allergic conjunctivitis with or without rhinitis in spring (Japanese cedar pollen season) every year
• positive allergen specific IgE (> 30 IU/ml) or positive skin prick test result (wheal diameter > 3mm) to Japanese cedar, Orchard Grass pollen, or house dust-mite extract

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who had undergone immunotherapy in the previous 5 years
• a history of other immunological or medically relevant diseases