Sublingual immunotherapy for house dust mite allergy in Southeast Asian children.

OBJECTIVE To determine the use and efficacy of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) for house dust mite (HDM) allergies in Southeast Asian children. DATA SOURCES Aliterature search was performed in Pubmed and the Asian Pacific Journal of Allergy and Immunology. We also evaluated the literature for similar studies performed in Asia. STUDY SELECTIONS Clinical trials involving children that assess SLIT for HDM allergies in Southeast Asia and Asia. RESULTS There are no published studies on the use of SLIT for HD Mallergies in Southeast Asian children. However, there are seven studies from Asia which show that there are discrepancies over the benefits of SLIT for HDM allergies in Asian children. Limitations in these studies include small sample sizes and short study periods. CONCLUSIONS We cannot say with certainty what the impact of SLIT is on HDM allergies in Southeast Asian children due to the lack of data. The available studies performed in Asia have their limitations but are suggestive of the potential of SLIT for HDM allergies in Southeast Asian children. This review highlights that good quality clinical research in this area in the Southeast Asian setting is warranted.