A propos de la réticence à l’immunothérapie spécifique chez les personnes allergiques : les nouvelles données de la littérature

The increasing number of allergic subjects and the alteration of their quality of life are major concerns of public health. Symptomatic treatments of allergic diseases are not always able to improve the patient’s complaints. Allergic exploration aims to identify IgE-dependant mechanisms and subsequently to prove the responsibility of the detected allergen in the allergic disease. The efficacy of the specific immunotherapy (SIT ) using allergens in either subcutaneous or sublingual forms has been proven in rhinitis, conjunctivitis, asthma and IgE-induced reactions to hymenoptera venom. The lack of training in allergology is an important reticence of general practitioners and specialists to prescribe SIT . Furthermore, the duration of the treatment and its important cost in Belgium (where, only venom SIT is reimbursed by the Social Security) interfere significantly with the compliance of the patients.