Allergen-specific immunotherapy in children

HISTORICAL TIPS The science of “Immunology” originated in the 19th century and grass pollens were identified for the first time as the likely trigger of seasonal hay fever in the 1870s. Skin allergy testing became an accepted assessment technique around 1910. Immunoglobulin E (IgE) was identified in the 1960s. The first scholarly report of immunotherapy for allergy appeared by Noon and Freeman in 1911 in the medical journal, The Lancet. Clinical attempts to determine the best dose and route for allergy therapy increased dramatically in the 1920s and 1930s. The oral route of immunotherapy was suggested earlier in 1900 by Curtis but, the clinical use of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) for foods was described in 1969 by David Morris. SLIT was reintroduced in 1970 for inhalant allergens. Although some patients treated for food, pollen, pet dander and mold allergy by SLIT appeared to improve, the ideal dose, degree of expected improvement, and the mechanism of action were not established, and few studies were published in peer reviewed journals until the 1990s. Generally, sufficient research evidence on the effectiveness and mechanism of immunotherapy began to accumulate in the last 15 years of the 20th century.