Sublingual immunotherapy
Reviewed by Susan A Douglas

This paper reviews the recent European studies on sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT). SLIT is currently widely used in Europe and is gaining popularity in the United States. It is known that longer treatment is needed with SLIT compared with subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) to reduce the rhinitis symptoms in children with house dust mite (HDM) allergies. SLIT appears to be a well-tolerated and effective disease-modifying option for treating rhinitis and asthma in children and adults including the elderly. Studies on HDM, grass, and ragweed have demonstrated post-treatment efficacy in both monosensitised and polysensitised patients. The effects of treatment are lasting, providing clinical benefit even one year after SLIT is discontinued. With its roots in Europe, SLIT is now gaining attraction around the world as a viable alternative to SCIT. The advantages include an improved safety profile with no reported systemic effects, a more tolerable route of administration, and the potential to significantly improve compliance by allowing at-home self-administration. Recent studies shed light on the wider age range that may benefit from SLIT, the potential for treating a larger array of environmental allergies, and the sustained effects beyond the treatment period.

Sublingual immunotherapy: what we can learn from the European experience.
Linkov G, Toskala E.
CURRENT OPINION IN OTOLARYNGOLOGY & HEAD AND NECK SURGERY
2014;22(3):208-10.