Specific immunotherapy for allergic diseases
Abstract
Specific allergen immunotherapy (SIT)involves the administration of allergen
extracts to modify or abolish symptoms
associated with atopic allergy. The process is
specific, in that the treatment is targeted at those
allergens recognized by the patient and physician as
responsible for symptoms. A decision to use SIT
therefore demands a careful assessment of the patient’s
condition and the role of allergic triggers.
Immunotherapy was first developed at St Mary’s
Hospital, London at the end of the 19th century, and
many of the basic principles remain valid today.
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Accepted 2016-10-06
Published 2016-10-10