Allergen-specific immunotherapy is a unique treatment for allergic rhino conjunctivitis preventing allergic asthma. Its mechanisms involve modified as well as tolerogenic immune responses, leading to a decrease in symptoms, less medication use and long term benefits. New developments for subcutaneous (SCIT) and sublingual (SLIT) application routes provide promising therapeutic options and will fuel basic and clinical research improving our understanding of allergic diseases and further generating health benefits for allergic individuals across our country

Allergen-specific immunotherapy, the subcutaneous administration of increasing doses of allergen extracts, is the only specific and curative approach towards the treatment of IgE-mediated allergy. Immunotherapy affects the natural course of allergic disease, and induces prolonged clinical remission when the treatment is continued for several years, which has raised the question of whether it should be considered earlier in the management of allergic diseases.

Reference

1. SN Gaur, BP Singh, AB Singh, VK Vijayan, MK Agarwal. Guidelines for practice of Allergen Immunotherapy in India. Indian J Allergy Asthma Immunol 2009; 23(1) : 1-21. Click here for Immunotherapy Guidelines for India