title: Treating allergic rhinitis by sublingual  immunotherapy: a review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a disease with high and increasing prevalence. The management of AR includes allergen avoidance, anti-allergic drugs, and allergen specific immunotherapy (AIT), but only the latter works on the causes of allergy and, due to its mechanisms of action, modifies the natural history of the disease. Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) was proposed in the 1990s as an option to traditional, subcutaneous immunotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed all the available controlled trials on the efficacy and safety of SLIT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thus far, more than 60 trials, globally evaluated in 6 meta-analyses, showed that SLIT is an effective and safe treatment for AR. However, it must be noted that to expect clinical efficacy in the current practice SLIT has to be performed following the indications from controlled trials, that is, sufficiently high doses to be regularly administered for at least 3 consecutive years.
authors: Pneumologia Riabilitativa, AO Istituti Clinici di Perfezionamento, Milan, Italy. cristoforo.incorvaia@gmail.com
authors: Cristoforo
authors: C
authors: Incorvaia
authors: Alessia
authors: A
authors: Di Rienzo
authors: Camilla
authors: C
authors: Celani
authors: Eleni
authors: E
authors: Makrì
authors: Franco
authors: F
authors: Frati
mesh_terms: D000286:Administration, Sublingual; D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D006109:Poaceae; D011058:Pollen; D039981:Pyroglyphidae; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000628:therapy*; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens