Short term coseasonal sublingual immunotherapy reduced the development of asthma in children with hay fever
Q In children with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (hay fever), does short term coseasonal sublingual immunotherapy reduce the development of asthma and seasonal hay fever symptoms?
METHODS
Design:
randomised controlled trial.
Allocation:
{unconcealed}.*
Blinding:
blinded {patients, healthcare providers, and data collectors}*.
Follow up period:
3 years.
Setting:
6 paediatric allergy centres in North Central Italy (Emilia, Tuscany, and Lazio).
Patients:
113 children 4–16 years of age (mean age 8 y) with hay fever caused by grass pollen and clinical monosensitisation to grass pollen. Exclusion criteria: asthma, clinical sensitisation to other inhalant allergens, and previous immunotherapy for grass pollen allergy.
Intervention:
sublingual immunotherapy with an extract of mixed grass pollens given in a short term coseasonal protocol (4 mo each y …
