Epicutaneous allergen administration: is this the future of allergen-specific immunotherapy?
Allergy
; 66(6): 798-809, 2011 Jun.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-21518374
ABSTRACT
IgE-mediated allergies, such as allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma, have become highly prevalent, today affecting up to 30% of the population in industrialized countries. Allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) either subcutaneously or via the sublingual route is effective, but only few patients (<5%) choose immunotherapy, as treatment takes several years and because allergen administrations are associated with local and, in some cases, even systemic allergic side-effects because of allergen accidentally reaching the circulation. In order to resolve these two major drawbacks, the ideal application site of SIT should have two characteristics. First, it should contain a high number of potent antigen-presenting cells to enhance efficacy and shorten treatment duration. Secondly, it should be nonvascularized in order to minimize inadvertent systemic distribution of the allergen and therefore systemic allergic side-effects. The epidermis, a nonvascularized multilayer epithelium, that contains high numbers of potent antigen-presenting Langerhans cells (LC) could therefore be an interesting administration route. The present review will discuss the immunological rational, history and actual clinical experience with epicutaneous allergen-specific immunotherapy.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Alérgenos
/
Rinitis Alérgica Estacional
/
Desensibilización Inmunológica
/
Epidermis
Límite:
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Allergy
Año:
2011
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Suiza