: 221–231 Review Article

Allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) involves the administration of gradually increasing amounts of an allergen extract to reduce clinical symptoms of allergy. Well-controlled clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of SIT in the treatment of allergic diseases, including rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma, and best practice protocols have been established. Neverthe-less, application of this potentially curative treatment is restricted, largely due to the risk of serious adverse events, especially in asthmatics. Although efficacy is high for venom-induced allergy, success rates for the more common aeroallergen-induced disease range from 60 to 80 % depending on the allergen. The prac-tice of SIT is currently being refined following major advances in our knowledge of basic immune mecha