Efficacy of sublingual immunotherapy in asthma: systematic review of randomized-clinical trials using the Cochrane Collaboration method

• Autor(a) principal: Calamita, Z.
• Data de Publicação: 2006
• Outros Autores: Saconato, Humberto [UNIFESP], Pela, A. B., Atallah, Álvaro Nagib [UNIFESP]
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UNIFESP
• Texto Completo: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1398-9995.2006.01205.x; http://repositorio.unifesp.br/handle/11600/29165
• topic: asthma; immunotherapy; meta-analysis; review; sublingual

Background: Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is effective and safe in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. However, there is no meta-analysis in asthma treatment.Methods: the clinical efficacy of SLIT for asthma was evaluated through a systematic review with meta-analysis. MEDLINE (1966-2005), EMBASE (1974-2005), LILACS (1982-2005), and the Cochrane Library were searched for related literature in any language. Randomized-controlled clinical trials (RCT) on SLIT in asthma treatment for adults and children were selected. From 119 citations, 25 studies with 1706 patients were included in this meta-analysis. for each report, quality scores were assigned and data were extracted in relation to the outcomes analyzed: asthmatic symptoms, use of asthma medications, lung function, and bronchial provocation.Results: According to the Jadad quality method, 64% of the studies were assigned scores of 4 or 5. Immunotherapy was seen to significantly reduce asthma severity when parameter compositions were all analyzed by categorical outcomes. There was a nonsignificant reduction in asthma symptoms when analyzed using standardized mean differences. No severe reactions were observed.Conclusions: This meta-analysis found that SLIT is beneficial for asthma treatment albeit the magnitude of the effect is not very large. Moreover, it is a safe alternative to the subcutaneous route. More RCT with standardization of symptom scores and medications are needed in order to contribute further to this subject.