Successful hyposensitization treatment in atopic eczema: results of a trial in monozygotic twins

Two sisters (monozygotic twins) suffering from severe atopic eczema with pronounced seasonal exacerbation during spring and early summer were treated with subcutaneous injections of either grass pollen extract or saline. After 2 years of preseasonal treatment the skin symptoms improved significantly in the patient treated with grass pollen extract, while the placebo produced minimal change in her twin. The therapeutic effect was paralleled by a greater decrease in total scrum IgE (from 4,200 to 1,370 ku/l) in the pollen‐treated patient (compared with 3,500 to 2,580 ku/l in the control twin).