Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30976379›Full record

ArticleThe World Allergy Organization journal2019

How to do a clinical trial? Recommendations from the aerobiological point of view.

Katharina Bastl, Maximilian Bastl, Karl-Christian Bergmann, Uwe Berger

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The World Allergy Organization journal, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Katharina BastlAerobiology and Pollen Information Research Unit, Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
Maximilian BastlAerobiology and Pollen Information Research Unit, Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
Karl-Christian BergmannCharité, Allergy-Centre-Charité, Klinik für Dermatologie, Venerologie und Allergologie, Berlin, Germany.
Uwe BergerAerobiology and Pollen Information Research Unit, Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAllergy immunotherapy is still the only treatment of pollen allergy, providing a long-term effect. Clinical trials with pollen allergic patients are in need of validated, high quality pollen data and forecasts in order to grant comparability and to adhere to scientific standards. The aerobiological part of clinical trials remained hitherto not well defined, leaving the definition and use of pollen and forecast data more or less open.

methodsPollen data of eight Austrian pollen-monitoring stations were selected and used as an example to present a new method of pollen data replacement, in case of station failure. Gower's similarity provides an objective calculation based on a defined time frame and a specific aeroallergen (for example birch, grass, mugwort and ragweed).

resultsThe ideal planning of the aerobiological part of a clinical trial with a pollen extract is described in detail with specific recommendations concerning site selection, pollen and forecast data, definition of the pollen season, and risk management. A checklist for every clinical trial with an aerobiological part was developed.

conclusionVirtual biogeographic regions are beneficial due to their objective establishment, and can be integrated into clinical trials. Pollen data is not the same as forecast data. Both datasets have to be critically evaluated by trained aerobiologists before they are used in clinical trials. Therefore, only institutions with aerobiological knowledge, at best ISO-certified, should be involved in clinical trials and handle the aerobiological tasks.

Indexed as

AerobiologyAIT, Allergy ImmunotherapyAllergen immunotherapyAPIn, annual pollen indexChecklistClinical trialsEAACI, European Academy of Allergy and Clinical ImmunologyEAN, European Aeroallergen Network (https://ean.polleninfo.eu/Ean)MPS, main pollen seasonPHD, Patient's Hayfever Diary (www.pollendiary.com)Pollen dataSPIn, seasonal pollen index

Identifiers

PMID30976379
PMCPMC6441751

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.