Efficacy And Safety of Allergen-Specific Immunotherapy in Children with Asthma

Abstract

Pediatric asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease that severely affects the quality of life and daily functioning of children affected by the disease.   Allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) has developed as a possible disease-modifying intervention as its objective is to correct the underlying immune dysregulation, beyond just providing symptomatic relief.  The present investigation aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety profile of AIT in a paediatric group of asthmatic patients. A total of 120 children, 6-14 years old, were recruited, of which 80 children received AIT in combination with standard therapy, while 40 children were treated with conventional therapy only. Clinical outcomes, pulmonary function, immunologic parameters, and adverse events were systematically assessed for a 12 to 36-month follow-up period.   The results showed significant reductions in symptom frequency, the need for rescue medications, and improvements in pulmonary function in the AIT cohort. Immunologic analyses showed decreases in serum IgE and eosinophil count and alterations in the cytokine profiles, indicating increased immune tolerance. Adverse events were mostly mild and transient in nature and support the idea of a favourable safety profile. Overall, AIT improved clinical, physiological and psychosocial outcomes and hence provided support for its inclusion in the management of paediatric asthma.