Sublingual immunotherapy for allergic rhinitis

ABSTRACT

Allergen specific immunotherapy is a medical treatment aiming at patients suffering from allergies that are insufficiently controlled by symptomatic treatments. Allergen immunotherapy rehabilitates the immune system. Subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) is the historical route of administration and consists of allergen extract injections. SCIT has proven efficacy in allergic rhinitis and asthma, but it requires regular injections at the hospital and carries the risk of potentially serious systemic allergic reactions in response to the treatment itself. Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) offers several specific advantages over SCIT. SLIT is more easily administered, avoids cumbersome injections regimens, and carries a much lower risk of anaphylactic shock compared with SCIT. So, this article will discuss the mechanisms of action, advantages, and limitations of SLIT for allergic rhinitis.