Patient's compliance with allergen immunotherapy.

Area of Science:

• Allergy and Immunology
• Pharmacology
• Patient Adherence Research

Background:

• Allergen immunotherapy (IT) is a recognized effective treatment for respiratory allergies.
• Strict adherence to IT protocols is crucial for treatment success.
• Limited research has explored patient compliance with IT regimens.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and analyze existing literature on patient compliance with various forms of allergen immunotherapy.
• To identify factors influencing adherence to subcutaneous (SCIT), sublingual (SLIT), and local nasal immunotherapy (LNIT).

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature review was conducted.
• Articles focusing on compliance and adherence in SCIT, SLIT, and LNIT were analyzed.
• Data on compliance rates and reasons for non-adherence were extracted.

Main Results:

• Early SCIT studies reported low compliance (45-60%), attributed to demanding injection schedules.
• Recent studies show good compliance (75-90%) for SCIT and SLIT, with inconvenience and cost as primary barriers.
• Local nasal immunotherapy (LNIT) demonstrated very poor compliance (27%), mainly due to side effects like nasal reactions.

Conclusions:

• Patient education and optimized administration schedules are key to improving IT compliance.
• Balancing treatment effectiveness, cost, and patient convenience is essential for successful immunotherapy adherence.
• Further strategies are needed to address non-compliance in LNIT, particularly regarding side effects.