Key clinical point: Patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) who received adjunctive allergen immunotherapy (AIT) reported improvements in disease severity and quality of life despite an increase in the rate of adverse events (AE).
Major finding: AIT vs no AIT improved disease severity (risk ratio [RR] 1.53; 95% CI 1.31-1.78) and the Dermatology Life Quality Index by at least 4 points (RR 1.44; 95% CI 1.03-2.01). The rates of local (RR 1.65; 95% CI 1.48-1.64) and systemic (RR 1.37; 95% CI 1.15-1.64) AE were higher with AIT vs placebo.
Study details: Findings are from a meta-analysis of 23 randomized controlled trials including 1957 adult and pediatric patients with moderate-to-severe AD who were randomly assigned to adjunctive AIT (subcutaneous or sublingual immunotherapy) or no AIT (placebo or standard care).
Disclosures: This study was supported by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology and other sources. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
Source: Yepes-Nuñez JJ et al. Allergen immunotherapy for atopic dermatitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of benefits and harms. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2022 (Sep 30). Doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2022.09.020