engleski

Sublingual versus subcutaneous hyposensibilzation in children allergic to house mites

Sublingual or oral administration of allergen(s) were endorsed by the WHO in 1988 as alternatives to parenteral hyposensibilization. The aim of our study was to compare effects of parenteral and sublingual immunotherapy (hyposenzibilization) in children having a documented sensitivity to house dust allergens. From Jan 2002 to Dec 2005 58 children 6 – 15 years of age were treated in a prospective study with Dermatophagoides pteronissinus allergen, administered subcutaneously to 31 children and sublingually to 27. The effect was measured in terms of total and specific IgE concentrations (KIU/L) and of peripheral blood eosinophiles (%) before and after immunotherapy. Subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) resulted in a decrease of total and specific IgE from 749 to 668 and from 67 to 36 KIU/L, respectively, and of the eosinophiles from 19, 5 to 7, 1% (arithmetic means). Corresponding decreases after sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) were from 1025 to 602 KIU/L for total IgE and from 62 to 34 KIU/L for specific IgE and from 9, 3% to 6, 1% for the eosinophils. The differences were significant after SCIT as well as after SLIT. On the other hand, pre- and postimmunotherapy values of IgE and eosinophils were comparable in both groups of children. The same was true for the prick tests before and after SCIT (8, 7 vs 5, 3 mm, arithmetic means) or SLIT (9, 5 vs. 6, 0). In summary, sublingual hyposensibilization was in our hands as effective as the parenteral route, whereas the discomfort for the child was considerably lower.

asthma; immunotherapy; children;

DOI: 10.1111/j.1398-9995.2007.01407.x