Low-dose allergen immunotherapy (LDA) is a highly effective treatment not only for allergies but also for autoimmune diseases. It desensitizes the body to offending antigens by exposing it to very dilute forms of the antigens over time.
The LDA method was originally developed many decades ago by Great Britain’s immunologist Dr. Leonard M. McEven. Today, the exact formulations of the allergen mixes are proprietary. Combinations of over 300 allergens are used in these various available LDA mixes. Although there is variability among the mixes, they are highly cross-reactive, meaning that the body will recognize and respond to groups of related allergens in the same way due to similarities in protein structure across different allergens. Immunology is complex and there is not a strict one-to-one reaction of the body for one type of food or environmental allergen. As such, a particular mix may be able to desensitize the body to a broader scope of other related allergens.
LDA works by presenting the body with very precise, very low doses of allergy-inducing substances in conjunction with an activating enzyme called beta-glucuronidase. Presentation is accomplished with small intradermal injections. into The skin cells react to the low-dose allergens by signalling the immune system to produce allergen-specific regulatory T cells. These T cells address inappropriate reactions to any allergen and produce long-lasting immune tolerance.
Conditions that can be treated with LDA:
The improvement of symptoms with LDA does not take long to appear; over 70% of patients note a significant positive response after their first treatment. Almost all patients that ultimately benefit from LDA will respond positively by the third treatment, and if no response is noted by then, we re-evaluate and may adjust the remaining treatment course. The overall success rate for all conditions treated with LDA is approximately 80% to 91%, depending on the condition being treated.
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The improvement of symptoms with LDA does not take long to appear; over 70% of patients note a significant positive response after their first treatment.