[Sublingual immunotherapy in children. Immunotherapy Committee of the Spanish Society for Clinical Immunology and Pediatric Allergology]

Abstract

Sublingual immunotherapy is currently attracting growing interest because of its ease of administration and, according to previous studies, its infrequent and mild adverse effects. However, at least in children, the efficacy of this therapy has not been completely demonstrated. In addition, the mechanisms of action remain to be elucidated since few studies have been published and the results have been contradictory and sometimes inconclusive. For this reason, we performed a literature review through the MEDLINE database, selecting double-blind studies carried out in children. Only 10 studies meeting these requirements were retrieved. All the studies were performed by European researchers and nine were published in European journals. Efficacy was evaluated by clinical parameters and by reduction in medication use. The results on efficacy are not homogeneous, although most support the utility of this route of administration. Moreover, reports of allergens other than those used in these studies dust mites and grass pollens are lacking. In conclusion, further studies evaluating the efficacy of this therapy in children are required. Among the general population, if the efficacy of sublingual immunotherapy in the treatment of sensitization to hymenoptera venoms were demonstrated, as has been the case with subcutaneous immunotherapy, the utility of this route of administration would be definitively confirmed. Finally, sublingual immunotherapy could be used in children who have shown systemic reactions to subcutaneous immunotherapy or who refuse to undergo injections.