title: SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF SUBLINGUAL SPECIFIC IMMUNOTHERAPY TO HOUSE DUST MITE USING A DIFFERENT DOSAGE: A PILOT STUDY.
abstract: The aim of this randomized open study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of different dosages (2000 UI vs 4000 UI) of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) in patients with allergic diseases such as asthma associated to rhinitis and rhinoconjunctivitis sensitized to house dust mites. We enrolled 61 patients with a history of allergic asthma, and a positive skin prick test for Dermatophagoides (D.) pteronyssinus/farinae. Patients were randomly assigned to receiving SLIT at dosage of 2000 UI (Group A) or 4000 UI (Group B) maintenance dose. We evaluated: subjective symptoms using a Visual Analogic Scale (VAS), the amount of prescribed symptomatic drugs, bronchial reactivity to methacoline and side effects using a specific questionnaire. A significant improvement in symptoms, assessed by VAS, was observed with both SLIT doses with no significant differences between groups. The provocation dose of methacoline inducing a 20% fall of FEV1 significantly increased after 12 months only in the 4000 UI dose group. In conclusion, both monomeric allergoid dosages of SLIT (2000 UI and 4000 UI) are a safe and efficacy option to reduce symptoms in patients with allergic asthma caused by house dust mites. Moreover, both dosages are efficacious even to protect against airway reactivity but it seems that monomeric allergoid of SLIT at higher dosage (4000 UI) is better than at the lower dosage (2000 UI).
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine. Unit of Broncho-Pneumology and Cystic Fibrosis, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leonardi
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine. Unit of Broncho-Pneumology and Cystic Fibrosis, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine. Unit of Broncho-Pneumology and Cystic Fibrosis, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lanzafame
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine. Unit of Broncho-Pneumology and Cystic Fibrosis, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Parisi
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine. Unit of Broncho-Pneumology and Cystic Fibrosis, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Filippelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine Unit of of Pneumology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Spicuzza
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Civico - Di Cristina, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Panasci
authors.affiliation: Unit of physiopathology and Allergoloy Hospital of Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scalone
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Unit of Pediatric Genetics and Immunology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cuppari
authors.affiliation: Department of Women, Child and General and Special Surgery, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miraglia Del Giudice
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Unit of Pediatric Genetics and Immunology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Salpietro