PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To update and assess the quality of the evidence concerning the efficacy of allergen immunotherapy for atopic eczema. Desensitization for eczema as a clinical manifestation of food allergy was not a target of this review. RECENT FINDINGS: In the past 5 years, from the last comprehensive systematic review of Bussmann et al., four controlled trials have been published on this topic, two using injection and two sublingual immunotherapy. The active treatment was compared with placebo, pharmacotherapy or different schedules of immunotherapy. The studies variably involved adults and children and showed an improvement of atopic dermatitis severity. Severe eczema seems less responsive to hyposensitization, and a minimal treatment duration of 9-12 months appears necessary. SUMMARY: The efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with atopic eczema has been poorly investigated in the past 5 years. The available trials have small dimension and some methodological shortcomings, in addition to incomplete reporting. Clinical and methodological interstudy heterogeneity is apparent. Only one study adopted a placebo control. The evidence of efficacy has not critically changed from previous systematic observations. No long-term studies have been conducted to determine the disease-modifying potential of specific immunotherapy in the context of the 'allergy march'.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To update and assess the quality of the evidence concerning the efficacy of allergen immunotherapy for atopic eczema. Desensitization for eczema as a clinical manifestation of food allergy was not a target of this review. RECENT FINDINGS: In the past 5 years, from the last comprehensive systematic review of Bussmann et al., four controlled trials have been published on this topic, two using injection and two sublingual immunotherapy. The active treatment was compared with placebo, pharmacotherapy or different schedules of immunotherapy. The studies variably involved adults and children and showed an improvement of atopic dermatitis severity. Severe eczema seems less responsive to hyposensitization, and a minimal treatment duration of 9-12 months appears necessary. SUMMARY: The efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with atopic eczema has been poorly investigated in the past 5 years. The available trials have small dimension and some methodological shortcomings, in addition to incomplete reporting. Clinical and methodological interstudy heterogeneity is apparent. Only one study adopted a placebo control. The evidence of efficacy has not critically changed from previous systematic observations. No long-term studies have been conducted to determine the disease-modifying potential of specific immunotherapy in the context of the 'allergy march'.
Authors: Giorgio Walter Canonica; Linda Cox; Ruby Pawankar; Carlos E Baena-Cagnani; Michael Blaiss; Sergio Bonini; Jean Bousquet; Moises Calderón; Enrico Compalati; Stephen R Durham; Roy Gerth van Wijk; Désirée Larenas-Linnemann; Harold Nelson; Giovanni Passalacqua; Oliver Pfaar; Nelson Rosário; Dermot Ryan; Lanny Rosenwasser; Peter Schmid-Grendelmeier; Gianenrico Senna; Erkka Valovirta; Hugo Van Bever; Pakit Vichyanond; Ulrich Wahn; Osman Yusuf Journal: World Allergy Organ J Date: 2014-03-28 Impact factor: 4.084
Authors: Nadezda Shershakova; Elena Bashkatova; Alexander Babakhin; Sergey Andreev; Alexandra Nikonova; Igor Shilovsky; Oleg Kamyshnikov; Andrey Buzuk; Olga Elisyutina; Elena Fedenko; Musa Khaitov Journal: PLoS One Date: 2015-08-14 Impact factor: 3.240