The safety and efficacy of specific sublingual immunotherapy for house dust mite allergens in patients over 60 years of age with allergic rhinitis and a confirmed allergy to house dust mites were the focus of the stu First, 111 patients, ages 60-75 years, with allergic rhinitis and with a confirmed allergy to D. pteronyssinus and D. farinae by the use of skin prick tests, serum-specific IgE and nasal provocation tests were included. Patients were individually randomised to groups: active or placebo using a double-blind method. A total of 51 subjects in the sublingual allergen-specific immunotherapy (SLIT) group (Staloral 300R, Stallergens, France) and 57 in the placebo group were monitored for three years. The patients had to record on a diary card whenever they used anti-allergic medications.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Subjects with allergic rhinitis who fulfilled the ARIA criterion and had a positive skin prick test (SPT), were positive for specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) and had positive nasal provocation tests (NPTs) by Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p) and Dermatophagoides farinae (Der f) were included in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with any of the following characteristics were excluded:

  • hypersensitivity to other allergens,
  • non-allergic rhinitis (especially senile or vasomotor rhinitis) or
  • severe non-stable diseases (especially bronchial asthma). However, stable coronary disease, diabetes, arterial hypertension and well-controlled, mild or atopic bronchial asthma were permitted.