[Allergen extracts for immunotherapy in Latin America].

BACKGROUND

The Latin American Society of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (SLAAI) presents a document about the use of immunotherapy (IT) in Latin America, where administration patterns, indications and contraindications, effects on health, adverse events and socioeconomic impact are reviewed.

OBJECTIVE

To review publications analyzing the use of IT in Latin America.

METHODS

A literature review was carried out in order to identify works addressing IT in Latin America. This review was focused on practical scientific information available on IT in the region, and a parallel comparison was made with practices observed in the United States and European countries.

RESULTS

Of the 21 Latin American countries included, only 9 had original articles meeting the selection criteria; a total of 82 articles were selected, most of them from Brazil and Mexico. Most widely used allergenic extracts in Latin America tropical and subtropical regions were those of mites and pollen.

CONCLUSION

Although it is true that there are huge challenges for the future of IT in Latin America, studies on subcutaneous IT and sublingual IT are increasing, but most of them are retrospective and some have design bias, and more prospective studies are therefore required, using internationally validated scales for clinical evaluation.