Background: The objective of this study was to determine whether a cluster scheme of allergic immunotherapy (AIT), starting administration of the therapeutic extract with the highest available concentration vial (vial B) of Allergovit®, affords adequate safety and tolerance under conditions of routine clinical practice. Methods: An observational study with retrospective collection of data from protocolled patients' medical records was designed. Patients of 5-65 years old with diagnosis of rhinitis with or without bronchial allergic asthma and hypersensitivity to pollen were selected. Patients were treated with subcutaneous Allergovit®, starting with cluster high doses (500 + 500 TU/1500 + 1500 TU/3000 + 3000 TU) on days 1/8/15 of the build-up phase and 6000 TU monthly on the maintenance phase for 2 years. Results: One hundred and ten patients were included being 51.8% (57) females with a mean age of 30.9 years (95% CI 28.1-33.6). During the first year of AIT, 46 patients suffered 69 adverse reactions (5% of injections). Local reactions were observed in 3.03% of injections (60), and systemic reactions in 0.46% of injections (9). Fifteen systemic reactions were observed in 11 patients during 2 years: 3/Grade 1, 11/Grade 2 and 1/Grade 3, all of them were resolved in 1 day. Conclusions: Cluster AIT reduces the vaccination build-up period, reaching the desired maintenance dose within 2 weeks. The low number of local and systemic reactions observed, the low severity and the resolution of all of them mostly in only 1 day, and the similar safety results observed in other cluster schemes allow to conclude that the cluster scheme evaluated (500 + 500 TU/1500 + 1500 TU/3000 + 3000 TU) was safe for the patients.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of human chorionic gonadotropins (hCG) and equine chorionic gonadotropins (eCG) on in vitro gilt oocyte maturation and embryonic development, using frozen semen for fertilization. Methods: Two independent experiments (6 replicates each) were carried out to evaluate gilt oocyte maturation, and fertilization and embryonic development by using ovaries from a local abattoir. Totally, 712 oocytes were randomly distributed in four-well dishes to receive Novormon (eCG 5.0 IU), PG600 (eCG 5.0 IU and hCG 2.5 IU), Chorulon (hCG 5.0 IU), or no hormones. Oocytes were incubated with 5% CO2, 95% air and saturation humidity at 39 °C for 44 h. Maturation of the oocytes to metaphase II was assessed by using the aceto-orcein technique. In addition, 741 oocytes were used and randomly distributed in four-well dishes, and then oocyte maturation was carried out as mentioned, but matured oocytes were washed and placed in fertilization medium with frozen-thawed sperm. Gametes were co-incubated for 7 h, and then washed and placed in development medium, and incubated for further 7 days, at which time embryonic development was evaluated. Fertilization and embryo development media were not supplemented with the studied hormones. Results: Novormon (eCG) and PG600 (eCG+hCG) treatments significantly improved the percentages of metaphase II oocytes compared to the control group (P<0.05). Furthermore, a significant increase was also observed in the young blastocyst stage between the control group and the PG600 treatment group (P<0.05). Conclusions: Hormonal products Novormon (eCG) and PG600 (eCG+hCG) can obtain the highest percentages of in vitro maturation in gilt oocytes; however, this effect is not transferred to fertilization rates.