KAAACI Guidelines for Allergen Immunotherapy

Abstract

Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is a causative treatment for various allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, and bee venom allergy that induces tolerance to offending allergens. The need for uniform practice guidelines in AIT is continuously growing because of the increasing discovery of potential candidates for AIT and evolving interest in new therapeutic approaches. This guideline is an updated version of the Korean Academy of Asthma Allergy and Clinical Immunology recommendations for AIT published in 2010. This updated guideline proposes an expert opinion by allergy, pediatrics, and otorhinolaryngology specialists with an extensive literature review. The guideline deals with basic knowledge and methodological aspects of AIT, including mechanisms, clinical efficacy, patient selection, allergens extract selection, schedule and doses, management of adverse reactions, efficacy measurements, and special consideration in pediatrics. The guidelines for sublingual immunotherapy will be covered in detail in a separate article.

Keywords: Allergens; guideline; immunotherapy.

Figure. Mechanisms of allergen immunotherapy.

BAS, basophil; Breg, regulatory B; DC, dendritic cell; EOS, eosinophil; Foxp3, forkhead box P3; IFN, interferon; Ig, immunoglobulin; IL, interleukin; iTreg, inducible regulatory T; MC, mast cell; nTreg, natural regulatory T; Tfh, follicular helper T; Tfr, follicular regulatory T; CRTH2, chemoattractant receptor-homologous molecule expressed on Th2 cells; CXCR5, C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 5; CTLA4, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4; TGF, transforming growth factor; Th, T helper.