Immunotherapy for mold allergy.
The objective of this article is to review the available studies regarding mold immunotherapy. A literature search was conducted in MEDLINE to identify peer-reviewed articles related to mold immunotherapy using the following keywords: mold, allergy, asthma, and immunotherapy. In addition, references cited within these articles were also reviewed. Articles were selected based on their relevance to the topic. Allergic responses to inhaled mold antigens are a recognized factor in allergic rhinitis and asthma. There are significant problems with respect to the production of relevant allergen material for the diagnosis and treatment of mold allergy with immunotherapy. Mold allergens contain proteases and should not be mixed with other allergens for immunotherapy. Most of the immunotherapy studies focus on two molds, Alternaria and Cladosporium. There is a lack of randomized placebo-controlled trials when evaluating the efficacy of mold immunotherapy with trials only focusing on immunotherapy to Alternaria and Cladosporium. Additional studies are needed regarding mold allergy and immunotherapy focusing on which molds are important for causing allergic disease.
Department of Allergy and Immunology, Wilford Hall Medical Center, 59th Medical Group, 2200 Bergquist Drive Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, TX, USA, christopher.coop@us.af.mil.
Christopher A
CA
Coop
D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic / Q000379:methods*; D005658:Fungi / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*