Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT), since the last years has always been used more and more in the treatment of pediatric respiratory allergic diseases, because of its proved safety, efficacy and good compliance of children and their parents. Aim of this study was to evaluate, in a pediatric population, the clinical efficacy and the easy of use of a monomeric allergoid SLIT (Lais, Lofarma, Italy), in comparison with drug treatment (antihistamines plus beta-2 agonists and salbutamol).

Thirty three children with asthma and/or allergic rhinitis (mean age: 7.2 years) were enrolled. Eighteen children were treated with the allergoid SLIT while the other 19 with the above mentioned drugs. The allergens more frequently involved were mite and grass. Patients with severe persistent asthma, poliallergies and vernal conjunctivitis were excluded.

The drug consumption was significantly lower in the group assigned to the allergoid SLIT (p<0.001). Only in 3 patients out of 18 it was necessary to employ antihistamines and in 5 out of 18 salbutamol. Also the symptoms score was statistically lower (p<0.01) in the allergoid SLIT group. In particular, the clinical efficacy was higher in patients allergic to mites with weak/moderate persistent asthma.

These results show that, in a population of pediatric patients suffering from asthma and/or rhinitis, the allergoid SLIT improves the allergic symptoms to a greater extent than drug treatment. Furthermore, the clinical efficacy of the allergoid SLIT is also confirmed by the favorable judgement expressed by the children' parents after one year of treatment.