Sublingual immunotherapy in children with allergic rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in Europe. Besides nose symptoms such as sneezing and a blocked nose, patients also suffer from general complaints like fatigue, sleeping problems and difficulty concentrating. Allergic rhinitis can have a serious impact on the daily life of children, because it interferes with their social activities, hobbies and schoolwork. Allergen avoidance and symptomatic treatment will only result in short-term relief. Allergen-specific immunotherapy on the other hand, targets the cause of the disease and can induce long-term remission of the allergic symptoms. This thesis presents an overview of the evidence for the efficacy of immunotherapy in children with allergic rhinitis and the results of the STARDROP-study. In this study the clinical efficacy, immunological effects and adherence to sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) with a grass pollen extract in children with hay fever were investigated.