Specific immunotherapy 3 years follow-up in asthmatic children

Seventy seven children, aged 4-10 years with bronchial asthma and sensibilization to D.pt were included in this study, divided in two groups: group A included 42 children submitted during 3 years to Sl; group B included 35 children followed during the same time period but not submitted to Sl. This group was regarded as the control group. The clinical evolution was evaluated every three months by clinical assessment, medication scores and DEMI. Total IgE, RAST, D.pt and IgG4 have been determined every year. The obtained results showed a clear improvement of the clinical score and reduction of medication use in the group submitted to Sl. In this group there was a total absence of medication during the last 6 months of Sl in 45.2% of the patients, while in the control group only 5.7% of the patients went completely without symptomatic and prophilactic therapy during the same time period. None of the children presented acute systemic reactions that could constitute a risk for their lives. 4 children presented systemic reactions, 3 of them with a bronchial asthma crisis, reversible with bronchodilating therapy and a child presented a rash reaction; two of them abandoned Sl. 13 children presented grade IV local reactions and one of them abandoned Sl; the others continued Sl with a reduction of the maintenance dose. Sl proved to be a safe and efficient ethiopathogenic therapy for child bronchial asthma treatment, when based on a clear selection of the cases and fulfillment of the safety rules established by the Allergology and Clinical Immunology European Academy.