Allergen immunotherapy: effective on lung function?

Area of Science:

• Pulmonology
• Immunology
• Allergy

Background:

• Asthma management is evolving towards disease-modifying strategies targeting type 2 inflammation.
• Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is a key intervention for allergic diseases.
• Understanding AIT's long-term impact on asthma progression is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the evidence on allergen immunotherapy's effects on lung function in asthma.
• To focus on the long-term outcomes of AIT in asthma patients.
• To assess AIT's potential role in disease modification for asthma.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of observational and randomized controlled studies.
• Analysis of clinical benefits, asthma control, exacerbation rates, and lung function.
• Inclusion of recent real-world prospective studies.

Main Results:

• Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) may offer sustained clinical benefits and positive effects on lung function.
• Consistent improvements in asthma control and reduced exacerbations are observed.
• Robust evidence for long-term lung function preservation is limited; some studies suggest allergen-independent benefits on FEV1.

Conclusions:

• AIT is established as a disease-modifying treatment for allergic conditions.
• AIT's capacity to prevent or slow lung function decline in asthma requires further investigation.
• Future research should focus on longitudinal spirometry data across various allergens and populations to clarify AIT's role in asthma progression.