Is specific immunotherapy safe and effective in children?

A. Cantani, M. Micera

Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, “La Sapienza” University – Rome (Italy)

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• Immunology

Abstract. – Background. The effectiveness and safety of specific immunotherapy (SIT) in allergic diseases such as asthma have been increasingly questioned, some authors practically advocate to eliminating SIT as a therapeutic option for allergic patients, since the risks associated with this form of asthma treatment might be higher than the possible positive effects. Observations. We emphasize that several authors comment on the frequency of reactions to SIT without a sound competence. Therefore, the scope of the present study was to ascertain whether this form of therapy is safe and effective in pediatrics. Denying SIT is a misleading issue since in children not cured with SIT a risk factor for persistence of respiratory symptoms is the ongoing sensitivity to allergens. Conclusion. SIT consists in the administration of specific allergic extracts at progressively higher doses, with the aim to achieve a state of immunological tolerance and subsequently a reduction of clinical manifestations caused to the patients by the same allergens. We demonstrate that SIT is safe and effective in children.

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