Background: Sublingual specific immunotherapy (SLIT) with monomeric allergoid has shown to be safe and effective the studies performed so far. The build-up phase, however, is rather time consuming mainly if performed with the conventional schedule of 14 weeks.
Aims of study: We evaluated the possibility of shortening and simplifying this phase, through a new build-up scheme of only 4 days, as well as the persistence of the allergoid SLIT efficacy after 12 months.
Methods: Thirty-nine patients (26 M, 13 F, mean age 20.5 years, range 6-49) with a history of moderate/severe rhinitis with or without mild asthma due to perennial and/or seasonal allergens entered the study. The posological schedule, adopting only 1,000 AU tablets, was the following: 1/2 tablet the 1st day; 1/2 table twice the second day; 1/2 table plus 1 table the 3rd day, 1 tablet twice the 4th day; 1 tablet twice weekly from the 5th to the 365th day (maintenance therapy).
Results: Only two mild adverse reactions occurred during the initial phase which disappeared with the prosecution of the treatment. During the maintenance therapy no adverse event was observed. Symptoms improved consistently and drug consumption was reduced in most of the patients.
Conclusions: The 4-day shortened build-up phase resulted to be safe, well tolerated and effective, already after one year of treatment.