Indicación de vacunación-inmunoterapia en las enfermedades alérgicas

Abstract

Allergen immunotherapy or vaccination is the only etiological treatment for allergic diseases such as rhinitis, asthma, and allergy to hymenoptera venoms. Its efficacy has been fully demonstrated in double-blind, placebo-controlled studies and in meta-analyses. Immunotherapy should only be used in diseases in which an IgE-mediated allergy mechanism has been shown to be central to its pathogenesis. Vaccination consists of the administration of repeated doses of an allergenic extract to which the patient is sensitized in order to improve the symptoms associated with subsequent exposure to that allergen. The main indications and contraindications for specific immunotherapy with allergens and the most frequently used routes of administration are described.