Hymenoptera Immunotherapy

SOCIAL STINGING INSECTS VENOM THERAPY

By Georgia Karras

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Reactions to Hymenoptera Stings

Common types of sting reactions:

1. Normal, Non-allergic reaction
• Maybe pain, itching, redness
2. Large local reactions
• Pain, itching, redness over a larger area
3. Cutaneous systemic – signs and symptoms limited to the skin, but not necessarily contiguous to the sting site. Example: swelling of tongue or throat
• May or may not be life threatening
4. Anaphylactic - affecting more than one organ system; skin, respiratory or circulatory,
• May or may not be fatal

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Stinging Social Insect Allergies

According to National Institute of Health (NIH):

• Large local allergic reactions – 2.4% to 26.4%
• Beekeepers = 38%
• ~5-15% of these people will go on to develop a systemic reaction
• Not a predictor of future anaphylactic reaction
• Cutaneous Systemic reactions – estimated at 0.5% - 3.3%
• May be a predictor of a future anaphylactic reaction
• Anaphylaxis bee and wasp sting allergy
• Between 0.4% - 3.3% of the population
• Rates of population allergic to insect stings appear to be stable

Where it started

• Early June 2023 - Four stings about 1 week later

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• Mid-June - met a (former) beekeeper that had an anaphylactic event

• Made an allergist appointment – Yep, let’s get you tested

THE BIG DAY

• After initial visit
• Approximately 2-hour duration
• 5 social insects share similar venom profiles. Most people cannot differentiate between stinging insects:
• Honey Bee
• Wasp
• White Faced Hornet
• Yellow Hornet
• Yellow Jacket

Procedure

• Started at 0.001 microgram/milliliter
• Wait 15 minutes – read bee magazine
• Increase every dose by a factor of 10.
• Wait 15 minutes – read bee magazine
• Keep increasing dosage until a reaction occurs
• Complete five rounds

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The Reaction

• Happened at 0.1 mcg – Fourth round dosage
• Itchy
• Raised bump
• Continued testing for allergy to wasp, yellow jacket, yellow hornet, & white-faced hornet

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• Good news: no allergy to other stinging insects

Treatment

• Start back at the previous dose that did not cause a reaction
• For me: 0.01mcg/ml
• Every 1-2 weeks receive an increasing injection dose
• If a dose is missed, then cannot proceed to next step on the schedule

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Results – 7 months later�February 1 & 2, 2024

12:00PM

4:27PM

24 HOURS LATER

Bee Sting Venom Immunity?

• Maintenance dose: 1ml every 30-56 days
• Miss a dose, back down a step
• National Institute of Health (NIH) - “Long-term tolerance is reached after at least three years of venom immunotherapy”
• However, immunity may wane over time

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Apitherapy – Not allergenic

• Per NIH - “Apitherapy is an alternate therapy that relies on the usage of honeybee products, most importantly bee venom for the treatment of many human diseases”
• Used for over 5000 years
• Idea originated that from belief that beekeepers hardly suffered from arthritis or joint problems.

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Medical Applications – per NIH

• Compounds within bee venom do have anti-inflammatory properties
• Possibly to treat rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis
• Also has a neuroprotective potential for neurodegenerative diseases by blocking their progression and improving cognitive functioning in mice models. Diseases such as:
• Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, ALS - Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Eczema
• Fighting cancer and HIV. Clinical application is a long way off.

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Medical Applications – per Internet

• Dopamine substitute – Africanized bee venom also contains dopamine (Haberman,1972)
• Asthma
• Reduce chronic pain
• Fight Lyme’s disease
• Natural Botox
• Stimulate collagen production
• Reduces the signs of aging – mix with your daily retinol dose
• Regulate hyperthyroidism in women

Venom Collection Methods

1. Dissection
• Insects are collected, frozen and shipped to a lab for venom dissection
• Suitable for all Hymenoptera species

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• Electrical stimulation
• An electrified grid is placed near the entrance of a hive. Venom is expelled and collected on a glass plate under the grid. Allows for large quantities from multiple individuals.
• Insects do not die
• Suitable for honeybees, not as easy with other species

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https://www.beeculture.com/honey-bee-stinger/

https://youtu.be/1PA2-RgEdbk?si=t_tGbEqUyHjdajmr

More Reading

https://tinyurl.com/stingreact

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American Bee Journal, January 2016

Final Reminders

1. Allergic reactions can vary over time
2. Find a doctor who will listen
3. Your hobby is trying to kill you (Don’t let it succeed)
4. Bee venom powder is worth about $100/gram on Etsy

1.5 Years later

1. I’m still getting stung.
2. I don’t try to avoid getting stung.
• But this year, the ladies were very nice, and unfortunately, I didn’t get stung often
3. I’m still taking photos of my sting sites.
• It provides a time stamp
• I can measure the swelling
4. I’m glad I did venom immunotherapy
5. My hobby isn’t trying to kill me any more.

Documenting a sting on the forehead at the hairline. Did it work as Botox?