Vitamin D and Grass Pollen Specific Immunotherapy

Allergen-specific immunotherapy is the only causal therapy of Immunoglobulin E-induced allergies like allergic rhinoconjunctivitis. Despite progress during the last decades it is limited by a long treatment time and high non-responder frequency. Based on experimental and epidemiological evidences we hypothesize that vitamin D can act as an effective immunomodulatory adjuvant to overcome these limitations.

Inclusion Criteria:

• written informed consent
• relative Vitamin D deficiency
• clinical relevant grass pollen allergy
• positive intradermal test with grass pollen
• forced expiratory volume at one second (FEV1) > 70%

Exclusion Criteria:

• current specific immunotherapy
• instable allergic asthma
• pregnancy and lactation
• treatment with immunomodulators or immunosuppressive drugs
• sarcoidosis, chronic diseases, malignancy