[Results of specific desensitization in allergic asthma]

Some recent works currently give some solid scientific basis to suppose that immunization with appropriate antigens might be beneficial for asthmatic patients. As numerous studies have now shown on the one hand that there was a relation between allergy, inflammation and bronchial hyper-reactivity and in the other that desensitization was able to modify the liberation of mediators to inflammation and the responses attributed to these mediators. The number of controlled studies performed up till now with the principal allergens are, for asthma, insufficient. However, no-one currently doubts the efficacy of specific desensitization to spasmodic pollen coryza. For pollen asthma, six studies conclude that there were superior results with desensitization than to placebo. Two studies showed no difference. Four controlled studies made for episodic house dust mite coryza ended with a favourable result. In allergic bronchial asthma to the dust mite, nine studies were favourable and five showed no benefit. It should be mentioned at this stage that all the studies on children have shown favourable results. There are few studies on the efficacy of desensitization to animal squamae (epithelial debris). Nevertheless, a very recently published study has shown, using cat squamae, clinical efficacy on bronchial, nasal and ocular symptoms. Desensitization with mould extracts cannot be judged at present, published controlled studies on the subject are almost nonexistent. On the other hand at the moment one can say that with microbial antigens non-standardised antigens, no clinical evidence has been shown to date. Incidents and accidents encountered during specific desensitization in respiratory allergy are extremely rare but may be serious.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)