[House dust mite allergy--how to win?]

Abstract

Manifestations of house dust mite allergy include perennial allergic rhinitis often accompanied by ocular symptoms, allergic asthma, and somewhat rarer atopic dermatitis. Sensitization to mite tropomyosin may lead to hypersensitivity to certain foodstuffs. Allergic sensitization and development of the disease are connected to the level of allergen exposure, indicating that the patients' home exposure to mite allergens is a useful indicator of their risk. Since the possibility of allergen avoidance is limited, and available pharmacological treatments have just symptomatic effects, the only causative treatment for mite allergy is specific immunotherapy. Its well-documented clinical effects include reduction of symptoms, prevention of the disease severity progression, and prevention of sensitization to new allergens. Immunological parameters show characteristic dynamics during treatment, which is also reflected in gradual reduction of the skin reactivity towards the allergen. Despite ample evidence and a hundred-year use in clinical practice, the efficacy of specific immunotherapy is sometimes still questioned. The aim of this paper is to show that, when properly indicated with due consideration of the person's sensitization profile, it is a very successful treatment method.