Sublingual Immunotherapy in Asthma
Back to listAbstract
Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) was proposed about 25 years ago, and it is now accepted as a viable alternative to the standard subcutaneous administration. There are more than 60 randomized controlled trials of SLIT in respiratory allergy, but its use and indication in asthma are still a matter of debate. This is due to the fact that none of the studies were specifically designed and powered for asthma and that many studies have methodological limitations. Nonetheless, the majority of studies reporting asthma symptoms consistently show a beneficial effect of SLIT and the meta-analyses of those studies provided positive results, although affected by a great heterogeneity. The safety seems not to represent a problem since asthma has been described as a side effect of SLIT only occasionally. Nevertheless, as for subcutaneous immunotherapy, SLIT should not be started until asthma is well controlled. In conclusion, SLIT can be prescribed to subjects with asthma associated to rhinitis, whereas SLIT cannot be recommended as the only therapeutic approach for asthma.
Keywords
Asthma, rhinitis, sublingual immunotherapy, safety, efficacy
Other Articles
- Bronchoalveolar Lavage in Interstitial Lung Disease
- The Value of Pulmonary Function Testing in Bone Marrow Transplantation
- Different Radiographic Presentation of Secondary Pneumomediastinum Is Related to a Higher Severity of Disease/Treatment Outcome
- Noninvasive Ventilation for Weaning and Post Extubation Failure
- Clinical Features, Burden, and Risk Factors for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Nonsmokers