Immunoterapia podjêzykowa nowinka terapeutyczna czy metoda realnie alternatywna do injekcyjnej immunoterapii alergenowej w leczeniu chorób alergicznych Sublingual immunotherapy: a novel therapy or the real alternative to injective allergen immunotherapy in the treatment of allergic

The incidence and the prevalence of allergies and allergic diseases are an increasing phenomenon worldwide. The goal of successful treatment and the main element in the strategy of controlling allergic inflammation is to restore of right balance of allergen-specific T lymphocytes subsets and their activation status. Specific immunotherapy is evidenced as the only accepted curative and prophylactic treatment in allergic diseases. The subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) undoubtedly has clinical efficacy, but recently sublingual allergen administration seems to be the most viable alternative to injection treatment. Efficacy of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) has been confirmed in asthma and rhinitis in adults and children, and its safety profile is satisfactory. Moreover, the most recent data show for SLIT a long-lasting effect similar to SCIT, and also the capacity of preventing the onset of new sensitizations. However, regarding SLIT mechanisms of action and ability to modulate the immunologic response to allergens, optimal dosage, and the preventive effect on the onset of asthma in allergic rhinitis patients, opinions still widely differ. In this article the recent view on the mechanisms of action of SLIT as well as the review of new published data concerning efficacy and safety of SLIT in children and adults were presented.