Allergen immunotherapy: shots for asthma, wheezing, and bee sting.

摘要

Allergen immunotherapy, popularly known as "allergy shots," is often prescribed for treatment of various allergic conditions in children. This article discusses the indications, methodology, efficacy, and risks of this therapeutic modality.Allergen immunotherapy is denned as "the repeated administration of specific allergens to patients with IgE-mediated conditions for the purpose of providing protection against the allergic symptoms and inflammatory reactions associated with natural exposure to these allergens."1 Allergenic proteins and glycoproteins are extracted from raw materials, such as pollens, fungal cultures, dust mites, animal pelts, or hymenoptera venoms. An allergen extract mixture containing the patient's specific allergens is administered in gradual increments up to an effective therapeutic dose, which is then continued as the maintenance dose.