title: [Therapeutic efficacy of 3-year subcutaneous immunotherapy in asthmatic children allergic to mite].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of 3-year subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) in asthmatic children allergic to mite.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety asthmatic children allergic to house dust mite (with or without allergic rhinitis) and aged 5-14 years were randomized into SCIT treatment group (n=45) and control group (n=45). The SCIT treatment group received SCIT combined with standardized treatment for asthma, while the control group received the standardized treatment alone. The therapeutic effects were assessed based on the daytime and nighttime symptom scores, mean daily doses of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), skin prick test results, peak expiratory flows and total serum IgE at baseline and in the 3-year treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both groups, the daytime and nighttime symptom scores in the first, second, and third years of treatment were significantly lower than the baseline values (P<0.01), and the scores decreased year by year during the 3-year treatment (P<0.01). Also, the mean daily doses of ICS in the first, second, and third years of treatment were significantly lower than the baseline values (P<0.01), and the doses decreased year by year during the 3-year treatment (P<0.01). The mean daily dose was significantly lower in the SCIT treatment group than in the control group in the second and third years of treatment (P<0.05). After 3-year treatment, the SCIT treatment group had a significantly higher proportion of children who discontinued use of ICS due to remission of symptoms compared with the control group (29% vs 20%, P<0.05). At the end of the 3-year treatment, the total serum IgE was significantly lower than the baseline value in the SCIT treatment group (P<0.01), and it was significantly lower in the SCIT treatment group than in the control group (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Three-year SCIT is effective in asthmatic children allergic to house dust mite and allows reduction in the dosage of ICS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Wuxi Children's Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214023, China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hui
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Xi-Lian
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiao-Juan
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008297:Male; D039981:Pyroglyphidae / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D007073:Immunoglobulin E