title: Specific immunotherapy and biological treatments for occupational allergy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Occupational allergy represents a substantial health, social, and financial burden for the society. Its management is a complex task that, in selected cases, may also include allergen-specific immunotherapy. The purpose of this article is to review clinical data on allergen immunotherapy and biological treatments applied to occupational allergy in 2013.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Immunotherapy in occupational allergic diseases has been scarcely used, and only for a few sensitizers, such as latex, flour, and Hymenoptera venom, partly due to the lack of standardized extracts. The recent use of the molecular diagnosis can improve the indication and selection of suitable allergens for preparing new standardized and powerful extracts for immunotherapy. Some recent reports suggest a beneficial role of treatment with omalizumab in workers with occupational asthma who continue to be exposed to the causal agent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although scarce, available data suggest that immunotherapy and biological treatments may allow allergic workers to continue their work activity, but further studies are needed to standardize extracts and to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of these treatments, when exposure at the workplace cannot be avoided.
authors.affiliation: aDepartment of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia bOccupational Physician's Division, Local Health Authority of Sassari, Sassari, Italy cAllergy Department Fundación Jiménez Díaz and CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES, Institute Carlos III, Ministry of Economy and Competetiveness), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Gianna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Moscato
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pala
authors.forename: Joaquin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sastre
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000069444:Omalizumab
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000069444:Omalizumab