title: Efficacy of sublingual immunotherapy for allergic asthma: retrospective meta-analysis of randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled trials.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) is the only available curative choice with a disease-modifying effect against respiratory allergies. The efficacy of SIT via the sublingual route was demonstrated by a number of clinical trials. This meta-analysis was performed to investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of sublingual-specific immunotherapy (SLIT) for allergic asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched for randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled (DBPC) trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of SLIT on allergic asthma. Subgroup analyses were performed according to age, type of allergen and duration of SLIT treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixteen randomized DBPC trials comprising 794 patients in total met the inclusion criteria. The results suggest that SLIT significantly reduces both symptom [standardized mean difference (SMD), -0.74; P=0.006] and medication scores (SMD, -0.78; P=0.02) compared with placebo. SLIT offers a better clinical response in mite sensitive asthmatics but without confirmed proof from subgroup analyses. Prolonged duration of treatment for more than 12 months brings no additive effects. Improvement in the skin prick test was also observed following immunotherapy. There was no consistent effect on forced expiratory volume in 1 s, serum levels of antigen-specific immunoglobulin G4 and immunoglobulin E in the treated group. The risk of adverse effects was relative risk 2.23 (P=0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SLIT is safe and clinically effective in reducing symptoms and medication use for allergic asthma. Our subgroup analyses failed to identify a disproportionate benefit of SLIT in any specific group of asthmatics, but some possible trends did emerge.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Rui Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Lianqin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Baoyu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Guochao
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Huanying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wan
mesh_terms: D000286:Administration, Sublingual; D000485:Allergens / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D063729:Sublingual Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens
keywords: allergic asthma; meta-analysis; safety; subgroup analysis; sublingual specific immunotherapy; treatment efficacy